


Aeris

by DemonicClaymore



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Gender/Sexuality, Aliens, Bathing/Washing, Dragonfly, Flyers, Gen, Human/Inhuman, Master/Pet, Original Species, Physical Limitations, Pteraphile, Wing Grooming, Wing Kink, Wing Oil, Wingfic, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 14:56:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5210138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicClaymore/pseuds/DemonicClaymore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aeris, and alien with plant like qualities and the wings of an extraterrestrial dragonfly, returns to a planet inhabited by human beings as a gift to the human ambassador that saved her people. The Duchess of Amberose, Lady Jennivier, is infatuated with the alien, and so is her husband. However, where the couple see potential for connection, friendship, and even love, a dark and ruthless scientist wishes to harness the power of Aeris's unique biology for his own selfish gain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aeris Arrives on Gia

**Author's Note:**

> This was a commissioned project that stopped part of the way through. Since it has adult content/themes, I'll be placing it here.  
> I started character bio art, made an entire outline for the story, created a glossary of a made up language for the aliens to speak, and much more for this project. It's sad it will not likely be anything more than it is now, but I hope you all like it all the same.
> 
>    
> _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
> If you are interested in commissioning me, or have any questions regarding commissions, please e-mail me at ashborne.and.sage@gmail.com and leave me a detailed message. Thank you.  
> _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**CONCEPT ART OF JENNIVIER AMBEROSE - Sketch Profile**

 

 

Slender, green fingers gripped the plush fabric of the chair’s arms. Aeris was shivering, but the cause wasn’t fear. She was excited.

 

After several days aboard the human ship, the Saelisian girl had finally taken her first look at the planet, Gia. The magnificent world wasn’t anything like her own. Saelis, the watery sphere Aeris and her people called home, was a bright blue ball; a world covered in a vast and chronically connected ocean with only a few small freckles of islands dotting its features. Gia however, was a magnificently different matter all together. The planet, also referred to as Second Earth, was made up mostly of three enormous continents that consumed the surface of the world. Each massive landmass housed an array of grays, oranges, and pale greens. It was almost the exact opposite of Saelis.

 

Seeing it from the heavens was even more impacting than seeing the images of the planet that Jennivier Amberose–Aeris’s host, mistress, and dearest human companion–had given Aeris upon her arrival on the space vessel, Canvass. The green-skinned beauty had nearly sobbed when Jennivier told her about Gia, a world that never flooded. The concept alone was overwhelming. Seeing Gia in all her majesty through the widows of the ship had pushed the young woman passed her threshold. She felt her heart and her wings flutter and her eyes become moist with the early hints of tears.

 

Then, the call to land came and Aeris was instructed to strap in to her seat and patiently await reentry.

 

It was thrilling to feel the ship’s thrusters pulsing in controlled bursts as the ship fell into orbit and then began its decent. Being Saelisian, Aeris could feel more of what was happening around her. She could sense the energy fluxes the humans didn’t seem able to. Her antenna, two long and narrow fern-like curls protruding from her brow line and off to either side, allowed Aeris extreme sensitivity to the electrical currents in the air. The delicate nerves throughout the rest her body, focused primarily in her wings, fingertips, and toes, made her very aware of vibrations and temperature changes.

 

All of those intense and unfamiliar sensations left Aeris panting. Her green cheeks were flushed with just a hint of blue from the exhilaration. She gripped the ends of the arms of her chair, more to absorb the feeling of landing than to brace herself. She could feel herself quivering. Feel her four wings–that folded up so tightly that they formed four securely wrapped, slender rods that hung down behind her through the open back of her chair–quake.

 

Jennivier glanced over at her companion. She saw the bright, wide-eyed look on Aeris’s lovely face and feared that the decent to the planet was frightening or overwhelming for the alien. The medical team had tested Aeris before she was permitted aboard the ship, but that didn’t mean that something so drastic couldn’t negatively affect the girl.

 

Being a seasoned traveler, Jennivier was a woman used to the strain of space flight. She preferred to stay on Gia most of the time, but she felt that she could sympathize with Aeris. The first time taking off and landing was usually a very emotional and possibly scary experience.

 

Instinctually, Jen reached out a single gloved hand and placed it tenderly over Aeris’s longer green one. Aeris gasped at the feeling of her new mistress’s hand and stared down at the contact point. Her cheeks flushed more as the unfamiliar sensation of a human’s body heat radiated out–even through the thick skin of Jen’s white leather glove– and warmed Aeris’s hand. The small gradient from green to blue that painted Aeris’s fingertips strengthen and obscured. Under Jennivier’s hand, Aeris’s flesh tinted a royal blue. It spread out over the surface of her skin and she shuddered as her escort’s pulse influenced her own.

 

“It is,” Aeris began. “Uncommon to my people.”

 

The statement was vague, but Jennivier figured out what Aeris meant right away. The ambassador had spent many months on Saelis, learning about the planet and its inhabitants, when serving as a mediator between worlds and a peace bringer, and she had learned quickly that Saelisians were not a very physical people. She chided herself profusely inwardly. Outwardly, she withdrew her hand and apologized.

 

“It isn’t that I don’t like the contact,” Aeris said quickly. She realized all at once how very rude and forward the statement was the moment it left her lips. Still, she had been so surprised and sad to feel the separation. She felt such a powerful urge to reconnect with her mistress’s touch that she spoke impulsively. “I do. It is just uncommon. For my people.”

 

Jennivier smiled softly. Her darling flyer was always surprising her. Jen found herself very relieved that Aeris had decided to come back to Gia with her. In the week’s time they had known one another, the Amberose royal had become infatuated with the younger woman.

 

“Very well,” she said. Jennivier placed her hand back over Aeris’s, taking note of how the flesh there was flushed from the contact before.

 

The two rode all the way down to the planet that way. They didn’t break contact until the engines rumbled to a quiet halt.

 

“We’re here,” Jennivier said, relief clear in her tone.

 

The two women made their way through the ship’s corridors, towards the exit. Jennivier walked strongly, her high-heeled boots clacking against the well-polished floor of the hallway. Aeris floated down the walkway, hovering a few inches off the ground with her toes pointed down like a ballerina’s. Saelisians–particularly females–almost always traveled in such a way. The species made a very unique electrical energy inside their bodies, and they could use that energy to propel themselves upward through small vascular passages in the special nerves and veins lining the tips of their toes. This floating consumed subtle amounts of their energy, but the amount was very rarely enough to even be noticed by most Saelisians due to their chronic creation of the energy through photosynthesis.

 

However, being in a space ship for several days with only artificial sun lamps to project the stimulating light rays she needed to create furël–the electrical energy her people made and needed to survive–made the experience of short distance travel more taxing than Aeris was used to. Still, she was a carrier of a Glameil, a small, solid, circular mark at the small of her back that marked her as a rare producer of copious amounts of furël.

 

Though the Saelisian said nothing and refused to show the subtle fatigue growing in her, she inwardly prayed that Gia’s sun was half as radiant as her own.

 

As they ventured, Jennivier explained the differences Aeris should expect. She explained the atmosphere was richer in oxygen, that the gravity was much weaker than on Saelis, and that things might feel very strange for a while.

 

“We can take things as slowly as you need,” Jen said. “If you start to feel nauseous or sick in any way, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

  
“Don’t worry, Jennivier,” Aeris said reassuringly. “I will be all right. I will tell you if it becomes difficult for me though.” She cupped one of her hands and placed it over her long, taught abdomen. “Thank you for your concern.”

 

Lady Amberose smiled and nodded her head, a subtle praise for Aeris because of the clarity of her dialogue and for understanding the request.

 

“Very good. Now,” Jennivier started. “You should also prepare yourself for the people. There will likely be many individuals present when we first come out. They will be curious about you and talkative. I want you to ignore them. Even if they ask you something, their questions must be directed at me. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. Do you understand?”

 

Aeris nodded, believing she understood. “I will hold silence and be patient.”

 

Jennivier gave another approving nod despite the odd way Aeris phrased her statement. “Good. I trust you,” she said.

 

That statement caused a subtle shift in Aeris’s wings. They had long since unfurled after the landing and were now hanging down behind her back in resting position. It meant the world to Aeris that Jennivier say those words. Trust, as it were, was one of the most important and powerful concepts on Saelis. To say that you trusted someone was to say that you were willing to put your life in their hands.

 

“Thank you,” Aeris cooed softly. “I will not disappoint you.”

 

The two women made it to the exit and paused. Jennivier took a look at the taller woman and made a stern but friendly expression. “Are you ready?” she asked.

 

A visible, hot shiver ran through Aeris’s form. She nodded, a human custom she had picked up on quickly. “Yes.”

 

“You don’t have to be scared, Aeris. I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

 

“I am not afraid,” Aeris clarified. “I am merely excited to see your world and meet more of your kind.”

 

Jennivier smiled brighter. She adored how brave and adventurous Aeris was. Her people were a fairly primitive race without electronics or technological advancements, and yet this one Saelisian had the courage to board a space vessel and travel through the stars to an entirely new world without anything more than a moment’s hesitation at the gate.

 

Aeris, Lady Amberose thought, was an incredible woman.

 

“Alright,” Jennivier said. “Here we go.”

 

Jennivier’s spine straightened and she turned her face forward, towards the door. She wore a suddenly very serious expression that Aeris had only witnessed a few times on Saelis and aboard the ship. Aeris decided to try and mimic the expression, believing that it would help her fit in with whatever lay on the other side of the door.

 

Aeris could not have been prepared for what came next, no matter what Jennivier could have possibly told her.

 

The large hall they entered had peculiar looking humans all dressed in identical uniforms. She had no way of knowing that the humans wore extra layers of protective fabrics to conceal their naked forms. Aeris understood the appearance of the security guards as similarly fleshed humans, like the crew aboard the ship. The sight of the guards made the flyer very curious about humans as a single species and all their unique patterns.

 

After the hall, they came to a large set of metallic doors. From the other side, Aeris could hear and feel life pulsating. It felt warm and it sounded as though hundreds of humans were all piled up just beyond the boarder. 

 

The door opened and fresh, immaculate sunlight beamed in. No sooner than Aeris followed her mistress out of the main walkway did she become overwhelmed by new sounds, smells, and sensations.

 

They had entered the vast open space of the spaceport. One long wall was made up entirely of glass, from which the sunlight poured in. The unfamiliar radiated-waves sent a sudden jolt of energy into Aeris and made her giggle and her wings span out.

 

Gasps echoed out from dozens of human beings barricaded off on either side of a makeshift runway. Cameras flashed and hovering television screens featured the two women, some also showing off reporters giving the latest scoop on Gia’s new arrival.

 

For the first time in her life, Aeris had a crystal clear image of herself to admire. She had only ever seen her reflection in water or precious stones, so seeing herself in high-definition on the screens, and in so many different angles, momentarily captivated the young woman.

 

“Wow! A real Saelisian woman!”

 

“Well, would you look at that?”

 

“Remarkable!”

 

“Amazing!”

 

“…those wings!”

 

“…green skin…!”

 

“Miss Saelisian! Miss Saelisian!”

 

“Can you speak English!?”

 

“Do you have a name?”

 

“My viewers are tuning in all the way from Earth. Is there anything you’d like to say to the human home world?”

 

Aeris felt overwhelmed by the many different voices and tones of the many humans calling out in her direction. Many of their requests and statements became jumbled and lost between the sounds of all the others. She felt her eyelids fluttering and her heart race.

 

“Alright! Get back. Get back!” The booming voice of a large male startled Aeris. She looked over towards him and realized he too was in the darkly colored uniform of the guards in the hall. He was just one of many who seemed to stand along the inner edge of the short energy field barriers that separated the loudest humans from the walkway that Aeris and Jennivier traveled upon.

 

“Duchess Amberose! Please, just a comment for my viewers,” one bouncy human called out.

  
“Missus Amberose, when can the public expect a formal reveal of what really happened on Saelis?” another one chimed in.

 

There were strange comments like those flying about all over the place. Then, there were the strange males coming directly towards Jennivier and Aeris from down the center strip. They were strange looking and smelling, older humans like the cook on the ship had been. Many of them had graying hair and uneven skin patterns. Jennivier thought, perhaps, that some were female and others were male based on the cut of their clothing–what she perceived as flesh. However, there were those with clearly defined legs that also seemed to have broader chests, which only served to confuse the poor Saelisian.

 

Regardless of their sexes, Aeris found herself hovering closer and closer towards them.

 

She and Jennivier stopped in front of them and some very confusing things were said. Aeris understood the roots and main branches of English, but she did not understand everything. From what she could determine though, Jennivier was being welcomed back and the elder humans were very fond of her and proud of her for her efforts on Saelis.

 

_And why shouldn’t they be?_ Aeris thought. _She saved my world. She is a healer, sent by Saelis to spare us the disaster of the plague._

The conversation went on for a while in public sight, and then Jennivier posed with the elder humans for the strange reflection boxes and their controllers. At one point even, Jennivier asked Aeris if she would be comfortable to have her picture taken so that everyone on Gia and Earth would get to see a good view of her. Of course, Aeris agreed.

 

Humans, the majority of them anyway, seemed very small and very dainty in comparison to the six-foot-three forest and jade beauty. Many of them were shorter, some significantly so. All of them seemed to be interested in the two women though, and Aeris hardly noticed the size difference between her and the humans as she allowed her image to be captured.

 

“You may say a greeting, if you would like,” Jennivier said. “Then we must go.”

 

Nervousness released butterflies in Aeris’s belly. She placed her cupped hand by her core and bowed low, her wings protruding straight up from her back. “It is a great pleasure to meet you all, humanity,” she said, then stood and smiled. “From Saelis, our creator, and all of Saelis’s people, thank you for welcoming me so warmly to your beautiful world.”

 

The reporters began to badger more loudly; impressed by how clearly Aeris was able to communicate, but Jennivier was having none of that.

 

The royal addressed the noisy humans and instructed them how and when they could expect more information, and then she turned away and led Aeris from the crowds and down a hall into a private exit out the secured back way. 

 

On the way out, a more executive selection of researchers and company awaited Lady Amberose and her consort.

 

Energy pulsed through Aeris and she felt dizziness overwhelm her senses. She was able to stay aloft easily, Gia’s sun more than a suitable source of nutrition for the girl, but her wings buzzed occasionally from the tension building inside of Aeris’s body and mind.

 

She decided to keep back a ways and merely observe as Jennivier tended to her strange, regal duties. She discussed things with many well-decorated humans, but there was one in particular that caught Aeris’s attention.

 

A human man adorning a dark, wine red scarf and long dark coat stood out from the other humans. His golden eyes stared intensely at Aeris, even as she glanced back and met his gaze. Their eyes remained locked for a long moment and a wicked grin spread across his handsome lips.

 

At first, Aeris felt as though she found the human male quite attractive, though he did look as though he were suffering from a lack of sunlight. The heavy bags under his eyes were distracting, but certainly didn’t ruin the male’s more handsome features. In an instant however, her empathy warned her against nearing the man. The tiny bristles on her antennas twitched and the long curls unfurled and pulled straight back as though a storm were suddenly being detected. Something about the human man with the red scarf was very wrong. His electrical aura matched that of a destructive tsunami, although Aeris couldn’t begin to fathom how a creature such as he could make her feel so completely unwell so suddenly.

 

Aeris wanted to gravitate towards Jennivier, but then the male broke his attention away from Aeris and he started to move towards Jen and her instinct rushed her to her mistress’s side at once. Her wings stretched out defensively behind her as she took a defensive stance behind Jen’s form, ready to scoop her up and fly her to safety if the moment came to do so.

 

Jennivier felt the sudden atmospheric shift in the way Aeris moved. She began to ask, what was wrong but the words never made it out before the red-scarfed man was upon her.

 

“Duchess Amberose,” the man said sweetly. “How very good it is to see you again.”

 

Jennivier was, by all rights and by her own claim, a very powerful Duke, the most influential force in all the Northeastern Boarders of Gia. She was also a proud philanthropist as her parents had been, and a social scientist to boot. As such, it was natural for her to become acquainted with all sorts in many different fields of study. In her exploits, the Mistress of Amberose Manor had encountered many individuals of both notable statures and of more humble standings. Regardless of how many individuals she met though, it was the Duke’s good fortune to be blessed with an impressively perceptive and descriptive memory.

 

So, even though Jennivier Amberose had not communicated with the man in the red scarf in quite some time, the material and length of the accessory and his mid-length dark brown hair was enough to trigger her memory.

 

“Ah, Mister Bastian, isn’t it?” Jennivier asked.

 

“Yes,” the man said coyly. “I’m flattered you remember me, your grace. Though it is _Sir_ Bastian, if you please. Or just Daemos, if you’d prefer.”

 

“Of course,” the regal woman stated formally. “You were present during the Saelisian consultation. You were presenting your theories on the electromagnetic variance in the Saelisian atmosphere and your theories regarding the native people based on early satellite scans.”

 

“That’s right,” Daemos confirmed.

 

There was something in the way that the human male spoke and moved that made Aeris weary of him, even as he smiled and spoke calmly to Jennivier. She couldn’t understand how any creature could make her feel so uncertain or edgy. She had never distrusted someone so completely and without provocation in her life, and yet–

 

The conversation, fortunately, was ended rather quickly when Daemos started to pester about the mistress’s publication release of her research. She simply stated that it was still an ongoing assignment and that more information would be released to the public when the right time came. That didn’t seem to satisfy Daemos, and the man then turned his attention back towards Aeris. He began asking information about how Jennivier managed to convince one of the Saelisians to return to Gia with her. To that, Jennivier cut the man short.

 

“I’m sorry, but we have a very important meeting and I’m afraid we must be on our way,” she said. This answer seemed to fail in comforting or satisfying the man. Despite his clear hesitance to move aside or take his eyes off of Aeris at first, he did inevitably step aside and allowed the two women to pass.

 

As Jennivier led Aeris away from the scene, Aeris took note of the strange red-scarfed man and his hunting leer.

 

“That man was frightening,” Aeris admitted.

 

“Frightening?” Jennivier asked. “Oh, no. You have no reason to fear a man like that. He is jealous and bitter towards me and envies the work I’ve been allowed to do with you and your people.”

 

“Jealous and bitter?” Aeris asked slowly.

 

“I’ll explain it to you more later. I think the complexities of human emotions are best left for a time when we ourselves are not so high strung.”

 

Aeris still didn’t understand everything Jennivier said, but she trusted her and knew they would discuss the matter at a later time, when it was more appropriate to do so.

 

Many other individuals kept Jennivier and Aeris occupied as they ventured through the halls. Aeris took note of all the various shapes and sizes and colors of all the different humans. It was utterly unbelievable to her how many different styles of humans there seemed to be, and just how different they really seemed to be from her people–and even one another. No two humans looked or sounded exactly alike. In fact, the more she started to see of other humans, the more interested she found herself in their appearances alone.

 

Some were round and others very thin. Some were as tall as Aeris or even taller, while others were considerably shorter than Lady Amberose. Some had bright yellow tuffs of hair on their heads while others had small black patches. None of the humans seemed to have the same brilliant red that Aeris’s human mistress bore though. None were as lovely or stunning as her.

 

Beyond their hair, it was their clothing that captivated. Still under the impression that clothing on human beings was like chameleon skin or the changing shapes of an insect’s exoskeleton or a flower’s bud to bloom and to death and rebirth, Aeris found the various styles, colors, and textures of human coverings to be incredibly fascinating. There was simply no denying that human beings were a complex and curious people.

 

Aeris’s thoughts wondered about those sorts of things until she and her mistress were brought outside into the sunlight and fresh air of the planet. It was staggering the vast differences and yet sheer number of similarities between Saelis and Gia. They both had wonderful and powerful suns and housed high-oxygen levels. They both contained unique and intelligent creatures, but the air on Gia was less humid, less dense, and less familiar for Aeris. She found herself at a loss for words to describe how breathing the alien planet’s air felt, but she thought that–if she had enough time–the words would come to her eventually.

 

“I will be escorting you to my home, as we discussed, Aeris,” Jennivier said. The woman’s voice penetrated Aeris’s thoughts. “I have every intention of you living with me for the time being. Of course, if you choose that living somewhere else would be more suitable–“

 

“Of course not!” Aeris blurted out. She bit her lower lip gently and lowered her gaze. “Please, forgive me, Mistress. I did not mean to speak out of turn.”

 

“It’s quite alright,” Jen said. The impulsive response eased Jennivier’s nerves. She had no desire to be apart from her new friend. She had almost every right to order her to stay in the Amberose manor as well, but that seemed so inhumane.

 

Aeris had been _given_ to the ambassador as a token of gratitude of the Saelisian people. “She will be your wings,” the village priestess had said. “To help you through the storms of your world, your enemies, and your confusion.”

 

Aeris was Jennivier’s gift, her guardian, and the ambassador to the Saelisian people. They were partners and Jen hoped that they would become much more.

 

“May I ask you something?” Aeris requested.

 

“Of course,” Jennivier said. “You are free to ask me anything you’d like.”

 

“How is it that there are so many different humans, all with such vibrant colors of skin and hair? You are all so very different. Even without wings, you manage to all shine so brightly and stand out as individuals. If you were flowers, you would almost all appear to be from different gardens.”

 

The question seemed to stir some interesting thoughts in the duke. She answered promptly however, and without hesitation. “Humans are all one people, but some humans have darker or lighter skin because of what region their ancestors lived. Their eyes and hair are different colors for the same reason. Does that make sense?”

 

“Yes,” Aeris said softly, nodding in agreement. “I think so.”

 

In honesty, she was still amazed by the clothing humans wore, not understanding how drastically individual the patterns and shapes of flesh on Jennivier’s people could be, but she let it go, accepting Jen’s response as simple fact.

 

“Oh, good,” Jennivier said with a grin. Her eyes were planted forward. “She’s here.”

 

A sleek black vehicle Aeris had learned on the Canvass was a “car” sat on a pure black and smooth road. A woman in a navy blue driver’s uniform stood by the door with a smile on her face, a smile that grew the instant her eyes fell on Jennivier.

 

Lady Amberose and the chauffeur greeted one another. Aeris was surprised by just how excited Jennivier seemed to be to see the car and the other wingless female, but then her joyous expression suddenly dropped.

 

“Where is he?” Jennivier asked.

 

“No need to worry, Ma’am. The Master is safe and well at the manor. He simply got caught up in work. He sends his most sincere apologies for not making it to your pick up and wanted me to present you with these.” The driver presented a small bouquet of beautiful spring lilies.

 

“Oh,” Jennivier swooned. She took the flowers, smiling softly now that the fear of illness and death could pass. “They’re so lovely. His imports from Earth arrived then?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am. He’s been quite busy tending to business affairs and obsessing over his plants,” the driver said with a hint a jest behind her words. Then, the driver opened the back door and stood to the side to assist either company inside.

 

“Come, Aeris,” Jennivier said. “Be careful getting inside though. It’s a much smaller space than the ship.”

 

Aeris was very careful about maneuvering inside of the vehicle. It was intimidating to crawl into the open mouth of the machine. It hummed near its face and she felt confusion regarding its life. She was told a car was like a ship, not alive or self-serving, but the electrical impulses she could feel from the small battery engine felt like life to her. Still, she moved inside willingly and carefully and refrained from more questions about the confusing human concepts of science and technology for now.

 

“Are you quite comfortable, Miss?” the driver asked Aeris.

 

Aeris looked at the young woman in confusion. “My name is Aeris,” she corrected.

 

The driver bowed her head. “Forgive me, Miss Aeris,” she said.

 

Jennivier laughed quietly behind one of her gloved hands at the sudden correction. She understood where the confusion was coming from at once, and she paused the foreign girl before she could go on correcting the poor driver again. She moved into the vehicle and ushered her driver on. Then, she turned to Aeris and explained proper titles such as Miss, Duke, and Master.

 

“I see,” Aeris said. “That makes since. I hope I didn’t offend your….”

 

“She is my driver,” Jennivier explained. Though still very eager to learn and very thrilled by the entire experience, Aeris couldn’t help but let out a short sigh. “It’s all right. You’ll get used to it,” Lady Amberose said. “You’re a very fast learner.”

 

The compliment brought a dash of blue to Aeris’s cheeks again. She smiled and agreed to try hard to learn as much as she could about the human worlds and society.

 

Then, the car started to move and Jennivier urged Aeris to take a look out the window.

 

“Oh, wonderful!” Aeris watched a futuristic city unlike anything she had ever seen before pass before her very eyes just outside of the window. She asked so many questions about the size and shape of the buildings, what they were used for and how long it took to build them.

 

Jennivier tried to answer all of Aeris’s questions, which was surprisingly easy seeing that the Amberose family were responsible for ninety-eight percent of the creation of everything in the territory. Humans had started colonizing Gia just over one hundred years prior, but the majority of work hadn’t begun until after Jennivier’s mother and father had moved to the planet from Earth with dreams of creating a new and better civilization. They had, for the most part, succeeded.

 

The two drove for nearly two hours. All the while, Aeris asked questions and Jennivier answered most of them. Tension was low and both women were in very positive moods. Then, nearly two hundred miles from the spaceport, Jennivier announced that they were almost there.

 

“We are in Riversburg,” she declared. “This is the town nearest to my home, and where I frequent. It is my favorite city in all the cosmos.”

 

Simply by declaring just affection for the location made Aeris feel great fondness for the city without needing to know anything else about it.

 

“You’re people are so fortunate,” Aeris said.

 

“Yes,” Jennivier admitted. “We are, but why–if I may ask–do you find we are so fortunate, Aeris?”

 

“Because your world does not flood, your people are able to build such beautiful buildings, and generations ahead will be able to see the hard work of their ancestors. It is such a wonderful thing, even though it is hard to imagine.”

 

Aeris sat back against the cool interior fabric of the car. Her wings had wrapped themselves up tight so they would not be damaged in the small enclosure. Aeris found that, when she was not looking outside of the window, she felt rather claustrophobic. It was a strange feeling that Aeris usually only experienced once in a tight hiding cave her mother fled with her and a young male to during a particularly haunting memory. She found Jennivier’s company extremely comforting though, and used it to keep herself calm.

 

She didn’t want to dwell on the storms. She didn’t want to be hit with a sudden rush of homesickness and worry for her family and the rest of the village. The High-Daa and High-Ruu, the priestess and priest of her village, blessed her travels. She had wanted desperately to come. She did not regret the decision, but the thought of storms brought with them momentary uncertainty and longing.

 

Jennivier could read the discomfort and knew it would be best to change the subject.

 

“Do you have any other questions for me?” she asked softly.

 

“Oh!” Aeris looked up, the bright and happy smile her mistress loved returning to her face. “Yes. I do. Who is, Master?”

 

Jennivier laugh allowed. “Master, as I said, is like the title Mistress. The master of the house is my husband, Alexander.”

 

The precious look on Aeris’s beautiful face melted away any stress built up in Jennivier. She knew at once that this would be one more lesson. With the patience of a natural mother and the intimate tone of a compassioned lover, Jennivier explained marriage and the titles of husband and wife and many other things about human relationships. The conversations went on and on until, finally, the vehicle turned onto the driveway at the bottom of a big hill.

 

“Oh dear,” Jennivier said. “It seems we’re here.”

 

Aeris turned her attention to the window again, and what she saw made her toes flex and her heart pulse with excitement. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”


	2. The Amberose Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeris looks around the Amberose Manor and discovers many new things.

The mansion stretched up over the skyline and Aeris saw it before they even got up the hill. The rooftops dipped down at the sides and reached up in elegant points. Shingles layered down the sides of the building and reminded Aeries of the way the sands of her beaches looked after a high tide. 

Her view of the manor expanded as they grew closer. Upon more avid inspection, the grounds and structure itself grew more admirable. The mansion was almost as beautiful as the woman who called the place home. Fountains adorned yards as lush and green as any well-tended forest. The fountains themselves were unusual but intriguing structures to the Saelisian. Water poured from sculpted fish that held the illusion of swimming in a circle though they remained suspended in their stone existences.

Out from the land surrounding the fountains were gardens that held flora both foreign and familiar. Roses decorated preened bushes and below those perfect squares of foliage were patches of land teeming with snapdragons, chrysanthemums, and tulips. These flowers were imported by Alexander directly form Earth, though Aeris knew nothing of that matter. She simply stared in wonder and tried to engrave the image of the beautiful things into her memory. Many of these flowers Aeris did not know the name for, but she found the colors invigorating, a variable feast for her vision.

Topiaries shaped like guards flanked them as the car pulled through onto the driveway. They passed onto the gravel and the ride began to bounce. Aeris clutched at the seat urgently, but Jen touched her hand gently to soothe her. 

"It's the texture of the ground," Jen explained.

"I see," Aeris replied. She eased back again and allowed herself to be softly jostled until they came to a stop before a path that led up to the grand staircase of the manor. Up close, Aeris could see the meticulously placed vines weaving around pillars that kept the upper portions of the structure aloft. So too could she appreciate the layers of smooth stones piled high to shape the majority of the walls and arches of the mansion. The stones, glassy polished and slightly varying in shades of white, grey, and beige, sat stacked upward until the shingled material overtook to create a fanned out hierarchy of elegance.

The look of sheer adoration on Aeris's features was striking to the noblewoman. Jennivier had to clutch at the girth of her skirt to keep from reaching out and stroking the precious alien's head. It would have condescending and rude, a gesture better suited for a child than a relation’s officer, so she resisted. Still, it was difficult not to find joy in the way Aeris absorbed the world around her. Those dark eyes widened as though trying to collect all the possible light to better understand the shapes she was being provided, those brow-like antennas twitched subtly as a myriad of emotions passed through the alien's mind. It was charming, at the very least.

Aeris looked positively as though she was ready to burst with energy when the vehicle came to a complete stop and the driver stepped out and around the side of the car to let the ladies out into the fresh air.

The driver opened the door and Aeris looked out at the pavement. There were smooth stones here, flatter and more colorful than those encasing the building. They were cut differently as well. Rather than perfect cubes piled one after the other, these stones were irregular shapes, some round, some jagged, and each fit into the other in a nearly perfect, though somehow still defunct, manner.

It looked immaculate and strange and Aeris was overwhelmed with the desire to feel it on her feet. It was a taboo notion for this was unknown land and no self-respecting Saelisian would wittingly endanger her precious toes. Despite this the desire remained strong and as an ambassador between lands, Aeris felt it her right and duty to experience this new sensation.

Carefully, with her toes lifted and her motions graceful, Aeris stepped from the vehicle and allowed the balls of her feet to make contact with the ground. She took two timid steps forward so that both feet were firmly on the path. The stones were both cold and warm for the initial touch bit with the twinge of a chill, but as she settled into a stance she could feel the collected heat within the rocks ebb into her own body. Her eyes fell closed and she tilted her head back slightly as the feelings quickly overwhelmed her. It was her first time touching ground on Gia and it was a concert of stimulations. The strange sunlight of Gia kissed her skin and soaked into her form, it was powerful and good, but somehow it tickled with its unacquainted waves. 

She could feel the life of the planet pulsing beneath her. It trembled and hummed, radiating with thousands of lives both within and without, all the souls making contact at that precise moment, leaving their life-force in their footfalls. 

The connection was spiritual.

Aeris let her wings fan out, and blue electrical waives surged through the veins like impulses. The membranes glistened in the mid-day light and Aeris herself seemed to glow brighter. She extended her arms out to her sides, let the wind rush over and between her fingers and exhaled at each surge of the cooling breeze. For the briefest of instances she was locked in place, part of Gia as she had ever been part of Saelis.

Jen looked on all the while, she stopped the driver with a gesture of her hand to keep the other woman from offering to escort the alien. She didn't want anyone to interrupt this ritual. Though she could not fully empathize with the experience, there was something decidedly beautiful about the way Aeris's people associated with the worlds.

It was disturbed at last by, of all things, the sound of a man's voice. Aeris startled a bit but calmed when she recalled where she was. She floated upward on pointed toes. Her wings retracted. The moment passed. 

Despite the transgression, Jennivier smiled broadly.

"You're home!" The man cried out again as he hurried into sight. He took the stairs two at a time as he surged to the pathway to greet his lover. The minute he came upon Jen he lifted her up by her waist and spun her around, her large skirt billowed in the rushing wind. 

"Oh, Alexander, good lord." Jen laughed and pushed gently in mock protest against her husband's chest. A moment later and words were not possible as Alexander claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.

Aeris was startled at first by the grandiose show of affection. It embarrassed her, but that feeling soon turned to interest, inspiration, and infatuation. The love between the two nobles was such that it radiated and it stirred a blush to life on Aeris's cheeks. Her antennas curled up at the ends as the joy of witnessing such a scene seeped deep inside of her. Her wings fluttered on instinct to release some of the energy that pulsated through her at the sight.

To make the situation all the more influential, it so happened that the master's appearance was suited to that of the mistress's own. He was a charming figure, handsomely cut and stronger than most men on Aeris's planet and considerably taller. Soft hair decorated his head and his flesh was shiny and bright on top with many colorful badges and accentuated details, then dark on the bottom. He was a favorable member of his species compared to even some of the more striking Aeris had witnessed aboard the ship.

Her heart pounded as she watched their lips connect and part over and over before the mistress pulled away with a giggle and a lovely red blush on her human features.

"That's enough," Jen protested playfully. At last Alex lowered his beloved to the ground, though his hands still seemed to linger as he reached up to brush loose strands of her hair back toward her bun.

"I would have come and fetched you myself but I was just as the ends of my work proceedings for the evening," Alexander said regretfully.

"The driver explained, dear. Now enough of this childish handling. I have a guest to introduce you to."

Alexander clapped his hands together before lowering one to cup the small of Jen's back. "Naturally! You must forgive my rudeness. Please, carry on with your duties," he jested.

Jen ignored his playful teasing and turned toward Aeris. "Aeris, this is my husband, the Duke Alexander Amberose. Darling, this is Aeris of Saelis." 

"My word! Aren't you the most stunning creature? I wasn't aware our neighboring Saelis was hiding away such radiant beings. I hope you've been enjoying your stay on our humble Gia, Aeris." 

Aeris felt her blush rushing back to taint her cheeks. She could only nod, not sure how to react to a presence as boisterous and forthcoming as Alexander. Then he offered his hand upturned and Aeris blinked rapidly in confusion.

Thankfully Jennivier was there to play mediator. "Alexander, Aeris's people are not so terribly inclined toward touch. They are not especially physical."

"Oh," Alexander was quick to withdraw, not possessing any interest in offending relations or his spouse's work. "I'm sorry about that."

Seeing the look of disappointment made Aeris start and she was quick to defend the matter. "No, please don't apologize! I was simply unsure what was to be done. I wish to learn about all human greetings. It's my responsibility to learn your customs." She looked to Jen beseechingly.

Jennivier smiled at her companion. The Saelisian was so adept to her position. The noblewoman nodded her approval. "Hold your hand out."

Aeris very slowly held out her hand, unsure what was to come next.

Alexander let a little grin of amusement creep onto his lips. Very carefully he took the alien's green hand into his own and drew it to his lips. He placed a very chaste kiss to the woman's knuckles as was customary for a gentleman of his stature.

The gesture prompted Aeris's wings to flutter in surprise and she blinked with an amused expression. 

Jen felt this was suitable and it seemed the Saelisian was not offended–only intrigued. 

Alex released the lady's hand and offered her a smile. "Welcome to Gia, Aeris. I hope you'll find us to be a hospitable world. Now, shall the three of us go inside?" He gestured toward the mansion and Aeris found she was very eager to take him up on that offer.

Sensing her company was ready to move onward, Jen gave the go ahead and the three made their way up the elegant white stone staircase. Aeris found them intriguing and watched with great interest as the Dukes utilized the steps, their feet making contact with each before moving up. Aeris simply lofted over them, too afraid of making a mistake. Her people had ladders and steps for helping the men reach higher elevations, but they were designed differently and Aeris, being female, scarcely saw them and never made use of them herself.

At the top of the stairs was the front of the manor and a large ornate oak door. Alexander moved ahead and opened the door with one hand and half bowed with the other pressed to his chest as he allowed his lady companions to pass.

Aeris and Jen had barely passed inside before they were flanked on either side by help that was surprised but pleasant toward the alien woman.

"Hello, Mistress and welcome, Madame," many of them greeted them both. Aeris assumed the title was simply that and tried not to let the misnaming bother her.

Jen modestly offered many of her servants a greeting or a tilt of her head. She was pleased to see many of them were happy to see her safe return, but if she had chosen she might have introduced them to Aeris a few at a time. Despite the surprise gathering, the alien seemed to take the matter in stride. Already she had grown accustomed to large groups. Jen was pleased to see this since it would make things much easier for them both.

"Who are these people?" Aeris was eager to ask as they moved into the foyer and at least three of the people offered to take Jen's coat while others asked if they could bring her anything.

Jen politely declined all of her help's enthusiastic offerings. "These are the help here at the estate. Some are butlers, others maid, that is the chef. Though he typically spends his time in the kitchen, he's come out to greet me."

Aeris looked between the smiling faces with confusion. She smiled back at them pleasantly, but was still perplexed. "What is a butler? Or a maid? Or a chef?"

Jen tried not to laugh. 

"A butler is a servant that receives pay for tending to matters like chores or fetching things around the house or answering the doors. A maid takes care of cleaning primarily, but butlers and maids can be interchangeable with duties at times if there is a need. Chefs cook the meals around here," Jen explained as simply as she could. "They are not the only servants. There are gardeners that take care of the garden, the flowers, and such. Cooks, which aid the chefs in the kitchen. Dishwashers and so on."

Aeris seemed to process this. She nodded her understanding. Then the beauty of the foyer claimed her attention. The room was gold in trimmings, windows let in light from outside, and a huge staircase, almost intimidating in stature, sat in the middle and led upward to some mysterious places. Off to the sides of the room were archways that led outward to rooms just beyond her gaze.

The alien began to ask about the surroundings and Jen was prompt to answer all she could about curtains, and marble flooring, and color choices.

Alex interrupted for the briefest of moments to alert the ladies he had something to tend to and that he would meet them upstairs shortly.

Jen took the opportunity to show Aeris around the manor. She gestured to the arches and explained they led to leisure rooms and Alexander's office and the back dining hall, which she would see at another time. Then she took her up the precarious staircase and Aeris had never been so grateful she could hover. The alien even kept her eyes firmly on Jen to make sure she didn't take a tumble.

Once upstairs Jen showed her new friend to the drawing room, an elegant room with a scattering of bookcases and art tools and supplies. There was a desk as well though it was tidied of all work at the moment.

Naturally Aeris was curious about easels and the use of many foreign utensils, though she was accustomed to many others since art was something both races shared to a certain extent.

Afterwards she was shown to the library, which seemed to leave Aeris in awe of the sheer number of tomes the woman owned. The carpet was lush and the same color as the darkest part of Aeris's skin and she found she thought it was rather comforting. "Have you read them all?"

Jen glanced around the room. "I have read many, the rest I merely haven't had the time for, but one day I hope to."

The noblewoman showed off a music room and explained instruments and Aeris expressed an interest in perhaps learning one. Then they explored a few guest rooms before Jen opened a door to an especially elegant space.

Inside was a bed, big enough for a single person, with many sheets and pillows and a big downy comforter in a soft blue color. The walls were also blue, though of a much lighter shade.

It had a big window with a ledge large enough to sit atop and on the ledge was a fern in an elegant blue pot. In the room was a bookcase with various volumes stacked in rows. The volumes were leather bound and looked quite sophisticated.

"Those are for your studies in your free time. I collected some of the best to teach you about some of our histories and customs," Jen explained.

With Aeris's back to her as the alien admired the room, Jen couldn't tell what her expression was. Then she heard a stifled sob and her heart pounded in panic.

Jen started to ask what the matter was, if she had somehow offended the Saelisian, but then Aeris was gliding across the room, inspecting everything from the books to the paint on the walls, to the large window that overlooked an elegant span of the gardens. 

"Do you like it?" Lady Amberose managed to ask.

"It's magnificent! It's so beautiful. I can see the flowers and the sun! The books are very exciting, I look forward to reading of them," Aeris said excitedly. As she faced the bookcase, Jen could see the thick blue tears streaking her face. The liquid shimmered and rolled like drops of mercury but they were rich with color. The ceiling was high enough to fly and the flyer flapped a few times experimentally and carried herself upward to touch the pretty light fixture on the white ceiling.

"Are you alright? Just happy then?" Jen asked nervously.

"Hmm?" One of the tears snaked down Aeris’s cheek as she marveled at the beveled crystal fixture. At last she seemed to take note of it and she moved her hand to her face to capture the renegade moisture. She eyed the blue bubble and giggled. "Oh, my. I'm sorry." She lowered herself down and hovered on her pointed toes. She floated over to the tasteful fern, held her finger over it, and allowed the drop to roll off her fingers and into the potted plant. "Forgive me, I was breath-taken by the room. I am tremendously happy." 

As the tear streaked over the leaves of the fern they glowed a soft blue then extended upward, grew larger as they stretched out. The liquid soaked into the soil and prompted the roots and stems to grow and thicken. Her tears awakened the plants' cells and coaxed it to grow to its better potential.

Jennivier was stunned by the sight. Everything Aeris did was a wonder to the human. Watching her weep life into the plant so casually was almost too much for Jen to take. As a romantic, the mere consideration of what Aeris could do was marvelous and made her heart pound. As a scientist the implication of what uses that power could have were stirring. The healing potential alone made Jen want to rush to her notebook and start taking records. Her manners kept her on the spot, but the urge remained.

"I really can't thank you enough." Aeris's words broke Jen's reverie.

"Of course. I wouldn't want you staying anywhere you'd find uncomfortable, so I'm thankful you find it pleasing." Jen gestured toward the window. "Though I must warn you, it can get a touch cold in here at night so it is best to make sure your window is closed like so after sunset. However, during the day it is perfectly acceptable to open it and take in the sunlight and the scents from the garden below." She showed her guest then how to open and close the window, Aeris was very grateful for this information. 

"Though if you're going to fly you should..." Jen's words trailed off. She blinked twice and seemed to wobble on the spot. After a second she collected herself. "Oh, excuse me. You should be careful not to go too far out because we're on the second floor."  
Aeris’s face held her concern obviously. "Mistress, are you alright?" 

The noblewoman looked as though she was ready to faint.

Jen laughed good-naturedly. "I'm fine. I'm just very tired from the long travel. I've slept so little lately and I desperately need to get out of these clothes."

Aeris looked taken aback. "Clothes?" She tilted her head to the side and her antennas twitched as she tried to reason out what the word meant.

"Yes." Jenniver's brows crinkled with her own confusion. It took her a long moment to piece the matter together. She recalled all the people of Saelis. Not one, not even the head priest or priestess, had worn any garments. Jewels were not even a practice amongst Aeris's people. Naturally it was a foreign term to her. Suddenly Jen felt a giggle bubble up in her chest. "Oh, dear. Aeris, tell me, do you believe my hands are white?"

Aeris nodded. "Of course."

"And this is my flesh?" Jen ran her gloved hands over her hips where her big skirt hung heavy.

Aeris seemed even more confused. "Yes."

"Goodness, it seems I've unintentionally misled you. Come with me, dear. I want to show you something."

Jennivier led the Saelisian down the long hall toward her own private quarters. Aeris followed obediently along. She inspected the decor, windows, flowers, and paintings as they moved along. She had many other questions but she feared too much more inquiring would further exhaust her weary mistress. 

Jen allowed the alien into her room and she smiled when she heard the woman gasp. 

The Dukes' room was a tasteful affair with heavy red drapes concealing her bay window, a prestigious white vanity set off to the side, and a lush gold and red double bed where the lady and her husband took their rest. The carpet was a luxurious black material that looked soft, though Aeris did not dare touch it. 

The beauty of the room moved the Saelisian, but her attention was quickly drawn back to Jen when the woman took hold of her over coat and began to undress.

Amberose had no shame about the matter. It was only natural that Aeris be privy to this knowledge about human beings. As a scientist, Jennivier could not condone ignorance. She shed her jacket and bodice first when all the ribbons were undone and she bared herself, back first, to the alien.

Aeris watched entranced. She had never seen anything quiet like what was unfolding before her eyes. As the layers–the over coat, the bodice, and soon her skirt and hoops–came undone it appeared to Aeris that Jennivier was blooming. Like a flower swelling from sun and taking in all light with its radiance the fabric bunched and evolved before Aeris’s eyes as it fell away from the smooth, pale flesh of Jen's naked body.

Beneath the petals that fell away one at a time was silky flesh and a shape not entirely unlike a Saelisian woman. Jen's body was thicker, peachy, and devoid of any ritual markings. The sight was something else overwhelming for the alien. She felt like she was taking in the planet for the first time yet again. It was surprisingly moving as though she was witnessing something private and secretive.

It inclined her adoration of humans by a great deal. "Do you shed them?"

"They aren't attached," Jen explained. She turned slowly to reveal her body to her companion.

Aeris took in the sight of the smooth, curvaceous front of her mistress. The sight triggered something warm and tender in the alien's belly, but she attributed it to more esteem at what she was being taught. All the places of Jen that would have been dark green had she been Saelisian were a soft pink instead. The color was intoxicating and pretty, much like a flower. 

"What are they?"

"They are fabrics. Made by hand of many sorts of materials. That is why all humans look different, for they wear different clothing." Jennivier reached up and freed her hair from its bun. The red locks tumbled down, wavy and thick, to rest atop her slender, bare shoulders.

Aeris was stunned silent for a moment as she marveled at that soft red substance pooled against Jen's collarbone and resting atop her breasts. Then she seemed to collect herself and remembered her next question. "Do all humans look like you?"

Jennivier considered this for a moment and eventually nodded, more to herself than Aeris. "More or less. I am a woman so I have a woman's body. Other women may be thicker or thinner, taller or shorter, brown where I am pink and so on."

Aeris understood this concept. Her people were not all entirely identical so she could imagine variations in humans similarly. Despite this, she had to think her mistress was special. There was a quiet beauty to Jennivier that almost had a presence of its own. Aeris loved the human form and she adored her mistress very much already.

Another question popped into the alien's mind then. "Can you remove that?" She gestured to the hair on the top of Jen's head and then down to a much smaller area between her legs.

Jen laughed. "In a way, hair can be removed. It can be cut or shaved, or it can be grown longer. Everyone wears theirs differently. As you saw before, it can be styled. However, it is attached for it grows out of humans from pores. Your species does not possess pores." 

"I see," Aeris said thoughtfully. "It is very lovely." Part of her wanted to touch it, but she feared the request would seem forward, for Jen understood Aeris's culture a great deal and would know for certain it was uncouth. 

"To be honest, I would give it up for a pair of wings as beautiful as yours. There is something artful about their delicate intricacies and they are certainly of greater use than hair." Jen blushed, a sight much more visible in her bared state. Aeris liked the way it looked on her.

Aeris was also embarrassed by the compliment and tried her best not to flush in kind. She tried to change the subject to keep from saying something unseemly to her mistress. "Does hair not have much purpose?"

"It is an artifact from a time when humans needed to keep themselves warm in very cold situations, but we've evolved beyond a need for it. At this point it is purely aesthetic," Jen replied honestly.

Aeris found this to be truly fascinating. She could think of no part of her own body that did not serve a distinct purpose. "That is interesting. I do wonder why it did not fade over time. Perhaps because it is so pretty it is a form of plumage? For mating?" The alien cocked her head and hoped her proposition was not out of line.

"That could be," Jen said cheerfully. "I don't really think of it that way, but for many people it is an important element of attraction."

Aeris said nothing on the matter, but she thought internally that Jen likely was very desirable as a mate with her extravagant red tresses. She debated what else she wanted to say, but only compliments filled her mind. As she sifted through them to find something appropriate to say, that familiar interrupting voice filled the room. 

"There you two–oh, my." Alexander's voice passed from a cheerful pitch to a low growl. "Did I miss something fun?" The Duke's pink tongue darted out to wet his lips as he looked between the ever-nude alien and his newly bared wife. 

Jen lifted a disapproving eyebrow, but Aeris missed the insinuation. "Oh, yes," said the alien. "Jennivier was teaching me about clothes and hair. I found it very enlightening."

Alex nodded, though it was obvious he was fighting down a gleeful chuckle. He had to admit at the feeling of his own giddiness that perhaps Jen had been away a little too long. "That's very good," he said.

"Darling, do you think I can trust you with Aeris for a few hours while I clean and rest up? I'm feeling a little fatigued. I wouldn't ask but I've been up for so long I–"

"Say no more, my love. I understand. I want you well rested before tonight." He waggled his eyebrows and offered his bare beauty a squeeze of her hips and quick kiss to the lips.

Jennivier rolled her eyes. "Be polite. Aeris, don't be afraid to speak up if he does anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Alexander pushed his lip out in a mock pout. "Come now, you don't think I'd offend her on purpose?"

"Of course. I'm concerned about what you might do by mistake," Jen said. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him critically.

Alex shook his head, his expression more serious. "We'll be fine." He gripped her by her shoulders and gently turned her toward their private restroom. "Go. Now. Bathe and rest."

"Have fun, Aeris. Alex, your patience will be rewarded," Jen assured with a wave of her hand and flick of her hips.

Two sets of eyes watched her sashay out of sight, and then they turned to each other.

"Miss Aeris, follow me if you please." Alex made his way to the door and held it open for Aeris, a custom he seemed fond of. 

The alien followed him down the hallway curiously. "Where are we going?" She hovered a few inches behind the man of the house. He seemed quiet confident in wherever it was he was leading her.

He looked over his shoulder and tossed her his most charming smile that made her antennas twitch from the vibe of joy he radiated. "I get the most distinct feeling that you would like to see the whole of our gardens up close."

Aeris's wings flicked out and fluttered with excitement before returning to their usual position. "I would be very interested."


	3. Alexander's Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeris and Alexander venture through the Amberose Estate's unique garden and the two learn more about one another than either expected.

Alexander led the alien through the manor and down the staircase. Then he took her through one of the archways she'd seen before. They passed through a simple room with an untouched tea set placed atop a fine carved table between two couches. The room was simply decorated and smelled of lilac. Aeris recalled Jen saying it was a room for entertaining and Aeris hoped she too would get to see what the tiny cups and dishes were for. 

They exited through a side door to the mansion and Alexander took her out onto a path made of round, evenly distributed stones. They looked like pale grey lily pads on earthy water and Aeris got the most distinct impression that Alex would skip across them. However the man simply strolled, took her passed large, square-shaped bushes, and toward an open arena filled with flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. 

The central portion of the garden was shaped like a circle, hedged in by rose bushes in tight rows planted side by side to make the hollows and closings. Spiraling inward were curving plots of flowers decorating the ground in long tendrils so the colors formed lines and those lines created a rainbow enclosure. The only way through this coil of color was the stone paths and Aeris hovered just above the rocks, for although she could have floated over the plants she didn't wish to disturb the way things were done. 

Beyond this central twirl were thickets of trees in columns and rows reminiscent of a labyrinth, though Alexander seemed to know his way. He led her passed the garden's middle to the place were the trees grew at all heights, some bearing yet more flowers while others harbored fruit.

The entire scene took Aeris's breath away. The flowers emitted aromas she did not know, and provided her colors she had never before seen in a plant. Her antennas twitched all the while she absorbed her surroundings in sight and mind. She could feel the ground humming even from where she drifted aloft. When Alexander stopped, Aeris knew it was permissible to roam and she moved around the outer edge of the carefully placed rainbow of flora.

Her wings fluttered lightly as she passed by trees, let her eyes fall closed to take in the vibrations of the world around her.

As the alien explored, Alexander admired her. He was moved by how she seemed so at home amidst his garden. She looked like a special flower, bloomed up and come to life. Her colors looked radiant and at home in the natural setting. Though these were not her native plants, she seemed right among them.

Aeris herself was very moved by the sight of the flowers. "We have nothing quite the same as this on Saelis," she said appreciatively. She bent down and reached out her fingers to gently brush the surface of some of the petals. Even kneeling, she kept her toes pointed perfectly downward to keep her on balance and suspended in the air. "Our plants are larger by great amounts. Most are vast green leaves sprinkled with yellows and blues. Our flowers are big also. Some look like these, but three times the size of a Saelisian male, the stamens large enough to be used to fend off predators."

"That does sound very big," Alex laughed. "I might be alarmed to be in the presence of such big plants." 

Aeris smiled as she tenderly stroked the stem of a lily. "It can be intimidating to enter the forests alone, but it is beautiful. However, I feel there is a great charm to the tiny petals of Gia. The only small flowers on my world are those that blossom with the fruit. I imagine such little things would not survive our floods."

"Right, I suppose your plants have either adapted to accesses of water or are tall enough to protect the petals and vital pieces during the flooding."

Aeris nodded. "These are flowers that know peace. They must feel safe in Gia's soil."

"Many of these flowers came from Earth originally, while others are native to Gia. Others still have been modified from Earth plants in order to adapt to the climate and atmosphere of Gia. They are hybrids of sorts."

Aeris was quite intrigued. "Do you believe plants from my world could be bred with Gia's to create these hybrids?"

"It's certainly an interesting prospect." Alex's voice became audibly excited. He'd actually hoped the alien would make such a connection and he was happy to see how eager she was to implement the experiment. He wanted to know the very same thing. "It would certainly be worth testing in the future."

Aeris nodded, then sat up again and turned her attentions to the trees. This time Alexander followed her as she moved leisurely through the rows of trees sprawled out to her.

She turned a corner and paused to draw in a sharp breath. She was instantly infatuated by what she saw at the center of a cul-de-sac of trees. Amid smaller, greener plants there stood a great tree with a trunk as thick as two of Alexander with branches and vines that tumbled down toward the ground. The limbs were a pleasant minty green and were coated in soft, white, feathery leaves. Amid the leaves were golden flowers, reminiscent of roses but more delicate, sprinkled hither and thither and the great tree seemed to glow under the sun's light.

Aeris was struck by the stunning vision and her antenna flexed up and down as she tried to sort through her emotions. 

"This is beautiful," she whispered. She floated towards it again this time with focus and intent rather than simple drifting. "What is this? What is it called?" She hovered just a few feet from the tree and looked up at its draping vines in admiration and awe.

"That is the Amber Rose Willow. It was growing here years ago, back when Jennivier's parents first arrived on Gia. The way they told the story, it is the very reason they chose this plot of land to make their home upon. They said it had to be an indication of something great, for it was a lone tree out in the middle of a great field. It was smaller then, but no less beautiful. Its species had no name at the time and Jennivier's folks took the whole matter as a sign. They colonized right here and gave the tree their family name, Amberose. Ever since it has been known as the Amber Rose Willow. They grow all over Gia, though in sparring numbers because of the length of time required for one to grow to maturity. This one is considered to be something like a family heirloom. Jen comes here sometimes to read or rest."

Aeris felt her heart pounding at Alexander's words. The story moved her to her core. 

So much had come to pass here for Jennivier's family, for Jennivier, and now for Aeris, and it all started with a beautiful tree. Her wings trembled and she launched off the ground and began to fly blissfully around the willow. Her long fingers reached out and grazed the trunk. She circled it over and over, then came to a still. Her wings fluttered to keep her aloft and closer to the center of the tree. She pressed her palm flat to the surface of the bark, closed her eyes, and smiled. 

"I can feel the great love of the Mistress's family spirit pulsating from within the tree. It is happy to be in such a beautiful garden, so full of love and affection. It is warm with gratitude."

Alex watched her with intent interest, prepared to report all that he saw to his wife, yet watching the girl most certainly satisfied his own curiosities as well. "Aeris, tell me, how can you tell that the tree is happy?"

Aeris did not open her eyes. Instead she gently caressed the bark beneath her fingers and explained. "All living things have electrical auras. Auras emit waves that can be read and deciphered. My people are sensitive to these waves. Our antennas aid us in picking up signals and unscrambling them. Our skin can sense the vibrations. We are very perceptive toward intention and emotions of all living beings, even spirits residing within the worlds we inhabit. I know the tree is happy because it told me so."

"So you think everything has a spirit?" Alex asked with honest interest. 

Now Aeris did turn her eyes on Alexander and the dark orbs held a kind look. "Of course. That is how we perceive the energy impulses at the very least. I understand you may have different beliefs."

Alex was quick to let the alien know he wasn't trying to be offensive. "Personally I have no clear opinions on the matter and I'm totally open to the possibility. However, there are many cultures of humans that share the same beliefs as you. They are called animists and they believe every object in the world has a spirit of its own. Many of these groups have varying notions of how these spirits came to be, but they agree all life is to be respected."

Aeris found this information fascinating and she flew up, let her wings pound and carry her until she came to sit in one of the strong branches of the willow. She kept her toes pointed downward as if prepared to catch herself at any time, but her pose was relaxed and she kept her fingers pressed to the branch. 

"I find it peculiar that humans have so many different beliefs. All Saelisians have the same understandings of our world."

Alex watched Aeris sway her legs back and forth thoughtfully and her vibrant green skin against the subtle browns and mints of the tree were a striking contrast. "We believe different things because each culture was taught a different religion. When the lands started to come together, some humans became quite confrontational about whose beliefs were right. Thankfully, these days, religion is really only practiced out of tradition or by the dedicated few. It has become more personal and less political." 

Aeris wasn't entirely certain what that meant, but it sounded important. She nodded in agreement to the parts she knew to be true. "What we feel about our worlds is personal. It is the connection between the one and the all. However they read the signals, I am pleased there is no more confrontation."

"Tell me more about what you believe," Alex said softly. He watched Aeris shift against the tree and found himself admiring the way her slender limbs could adjust so effortlessly. 

"My faith belongs to Saelis, the True Spirit. Saelis gives life to all things. Saelis is a part and a whole of all things. Ruu Daa Saelis," she said reverently. 

"I hope it isn't out of line to ask, but what do Ruu and Daa mean?"

Aeris smiled. "I encourage you to ask all things. I wish to share and learn in kind. That is my position. Ruu is equitable to the strength and spirit of the male, while Daa is the strength and spirit of the female. Both are different, but equal in their own calibers."

"So your deity is both male and female?" Alexander knew of other cultures that had similar lords they looked to, so it wasn't so hard to imagine.

"Both and neither, for Saelis is all things. Saelis is possessed of attributes of both men and women and of great wings that span out and make up the skies and a powerful energy that brightens the day and sustains us." Aeris recited her well-known understandings, but then a blue blush crept onto her cheeks. "Though I suppose it sounds silly to claim such a thing now. I have traveled to a new world through the skies of Saelis and should know better than to believe it is made up of their form. Still, Ruu Daa Saelis's energy is in everything and everyone on my planet."

"I don't think it is silly. Perhaps what you've seen truly is Saelis. There is no reason to assume it isn't. I think it's wonderful that your people can connect so completely with nature and feel so whole with it."

"Are humans not with nature?" Aeris tilted her head to the side. Again her antennas fidgeted as though trying to pick up a bit of understanding on the breeze. 

"What you've seen, the city, the screens, the mansions, this is human civilization. The closer we get with the things we've crafted rather than the things that grew on their own, the further we get from nature. To put it simply we become less intuitive to the life waves you mentioned."

"Yes it seems clear to me that you cannot hear the tree's thoughts, still you must feel the energy?" Aeris leaned forward a bit, curiosity physically shifting her. 

Alexander shrugged. "It makes me happy to see lovely things, but I can't feel anything from the tree."

"So you can not feel the waves at all?" Aeris's antennas lifted in surprise. 

Alex shook his head to indicate he could not.

Aeris pushed off the branch, her figure so delicate she didn't even shake the leaves. The Amber Rose Willow remained unmoved, as though the gentlest breeze had merely passed by.

She flew down, her wings moving steady and slow then slower as she lowered herself to the ground and her powers awoken to capture her above ground on pointed toes. Alex found it fascinating that besides the slightest fluctuation, like steam rolling off of coals, there was nothing visible about the property keeping the alien aloft.

"May I have your hand?" Aeris asked gently.

Alex, curious but ever hospitable, offered his hand. 

Aeris placed her fingers on Alex’s larger ones, cool skin to warm flesh, and for a moment she simply held it. She felt Alexander's life energy pulsing through her and knew he would be able to feel if only he knew how. She floated back toward the trunk and he followed along obediently. She took their hands and led him to the tree's heart. She pressed his flesh to the bark, the palm flat and trapped between the smooth texture of the tree and the smoother planes of her skin. 

"Relax," she said.

Alex allowed his body to ease. He drew in a breath and tried to concentrate on the way his lungs inflated and attempted to let go of all other thought. He wanted to know what Aeris wanted him to feel. He let out a gentle breath between his lips and flexed his fingers only slightly beneath hers. Then he felt it. A subtle pulsing. It started at his fingertips and at first he thought his hand was numb, but then he felt it stronger, a pleasing wave of energy that rolled over his palm and up his arm and through his form. It left him feeling soothed. At least for an instant before the excitement consumed him and his eyes snapped open and his grin overtook his face. "I feel it!"

"This is the tree's energy. You feel as it feels. That pleasure you feel, the happiness spreading through you, that is the tree's and it is lending it to you so you may know it." Aeris sprawled her fingers so they fell between Alexander's and kissed the trunk. She caressed the bark, encouraged it to pulse more energy so Alex could better feel.

Emotion welled in the human's chest and he thought for an instant he might sob, but he was too happy to succumb to the impulse. Instead, he pressed a little firmer and breathed more slowly to better allow the connection.

They held the position for a moment, but eventually broke the contact. Alex pulled away feeling blessed and overwhelmed while Aeris was pleased. She had hoped with her help the humans could bridge the gap between themselves and their surroundings. Finding her theory had proven correct swelled her chest with pride. Alex's happiness was hers and the tree had shared it too. That connection was all she had hoped for.

"That was amazing!" Alexander's more formal presence melted in his awe. "I can't believe you were able to do that." He looked at his hand as if he expected to find something radiating there. He wriggled his fingers and laughed. "That was the oddest and simultaneously most compelling thing I've ever been a part of. You are incredible, Aeris. Simply wonderful. You should be so proud of your abilities. I've never felt anything like that." The compliments tumbled forth from his lips over and over.

Blue stained Aeris's face as she listened. "I'm am pleased, but it wasn't such a big deal."

"It was to me," Alex said. He took a deep breath to calm his excitement and gave his palm a final glance before slipping into his pocket to keep from gushing any further over what he'd felt. 

Attentively he pushed the subject onto other matters. He asked her what other sorts of plants she had on her planet and what other objects and animals she'd bonded with. The conversation went on peacefully for a while, and then a rather poignant question popped into the master's mind. He felt strongly about the matter because he felt he had bonded with Aeris already and wanted to know her motivations. "Aeris, why did you decide to come to Gia with my wife?"

That blue color was on her again and she could feel it tingle under her skin as she thought the question over. "To be honest, I came to love Mistress rather quickly. I admired the energy she carried from the first moment I saw her. I also wanted to thank her for saving my people." Aeris smiled as she thought of all the wonders Jen had performed. 

Alex sensed there was something more the alien wanted to say. "Is that all?"

"No," she confessed. "I greatly desired to protect her. I wanted that, not only to learn about humans and other worlds, but to watch over her."

"What do you mean by protect her?" Alex pondered all the things this could mean. Jen had always been able to guard herself. It was why he felt confident enough that she would be okay on long trips off planet. Jen was strong, so then why did Aeris feel she needed defending?

At the inquiry, Aeris lifted her wings for showcasing. "I must admit, I find it odd even still that humans lack wings. On my planet all females have wings. I have never seen a girl of my kind born without them. They are necessary in protecting the males, the children, each other, and all precious belongings during the great storms. If we did not have them, we would perish."

"We know about the flooding, is it really so severe?"

"Oh, yes. Unlike Gia, Sealis is composed of mostly ocean. From the water come terrible, powerful, destructive storms. They are known to wipe out homes, buildings, and anything else left behind. We spend much of our lives rebuilding and remaking after the fall of the storms. It is our cycle. It is normal."

"I see," Alex said. It was starting to make more sense to him why the alien was so concerned. 

"I had heard that on Gia the floods and tsunamis did not occur. It was baffling to hear and I honestly did not believe it. I could not a fathom a world free of the strife of angry waters. Yet, when we arrived, I saw for myself the buildings, the untouched ground, the low growing flowers, and I knew the words had been true. Despite this revelation, my instinct to protect is still strong. It is built into me and I want to be nearby if anything goes wrong." A sort of fawning look fell on the Saelisian's features. That blue blood let itself be known again as she flushed at the forwardness of her own thoughts. "I want to be Jennivier's wings. I want to protect her from storms or whatever else may come. Anything that might try to hurt her, I want to be by her side to stop it."

Alex's lips parted slightly but no words came forth for he could think of nothing fitting to say.

Aeris snapped out of her daydream and misconstrued Alex's silence. She shuffled in the air and her wings fluttered nervously like an uncertain moth trying to land. 

"I'm sorry. I just mean that she means a lot to me. I want to protect you as well. I consider you both my family now and I would do anything to serve my Mister and Mistress." She prayed she had not overstepped any bounds with her words, that she had not offended the husband by wanting to protect his wife.

Alex was surprised by the alien's words. They weren't what he had expected to hear, but he was a far cry from anger. "It's alright, Aeris. I understand completely."

"You do?" Aeris's whole body seemed to ease with relief.

"Of course I do. I am protective of Jen and of you as well. Thank you for your loyalty. I return it in kind. I must say I'm very moved. I don't know that anyone besides Jen has ever wanted to protect me before."

Aeris felt her heart pound with satisfaction. Hearing that Alex accepted her affection and even returned it made her feel as though she belonged. It meant everything to her that her new master wanted her to watch over him, and wanted to protect her too. Her wings beat twice with grand happiness.

Alex offered her a smile. Everything about the alien was striking and charming. He wondered if Jennivier felt this strongly about the Saelisian. Surely she must have thought a lot of her to go through the trouble of public affairs to learn from her. What was more, it seemed Aeris had deep feelings of respect and admiration for Jen. Did that go both ways? What had they experienced on Saelis together? Was it emotional, or spiritual? Had they come to know each other well, or were they drawn together? The questions tumbled through his mind and some he thought he would ask his wife, while others he thought he'd rather like to discover through observation. 

"Alex?" Aeris's aura shifted slightly when she noticed the absence of the man's attention. 

Alex returned his gaze to the alien and offered her a comforting smile. 

"Sorry, I got lost in thought." This seemed to soothe Aeris. Alexander noticed the sky was a bit darker as the sun began to set. He thought then to check his watch and the time surprised him. "Oh, it's getting very late. We should get inside. I need to make sure dinner is coming along."

"Certainly," Aeris said. She knew by now that dinner was one of the meals humans needed throughout the day and she certainly didn't want to deprive her master of that. Happily she followed him inside, though she spared the garden a few tender parting glances as she passed through.

She followed him back into the mansion and through a twisting maze of halls and corridors she struggled to memorize. Then she was taken to a big room with a large table and many chairs surrounding it. A big decorative chandelier dangled down from the ceiling over the table and Aeris found its flower-like glass edges radiant.

Alex pulled out a seat for her and she gratefully settled in as she had on so many seats of late. Aeris rather enjoyed the feeling of gliding across the smooth wooden floor as Alex pushed her seat into place.

He started to make his way toward the kitchen and stopped short. "I just realized, do you like to eat, Aeris?" The Duke felt foolish for not asking sooner.

"Eating for my people is very rare," she admitted. "However, it is simply because my people gain our energy primarily from the sun. Despite this, I have been known to enjoy fruit if that is something humans are familiar with?"

Alex laughed. "Yes, we have fruit. I'll see what we have on hand."

A short time later and dinner was served. Alex had some sort of meat while Aeris was given a bowl of exotic fruit. Oranges were much like fruit on her home planet, but apples were a special treat with which she became quickly infatuated. 

Both were informed that the mistress would not be joining them because she was much too tired. Even in Jen's absence though, the two were able to make fine conversation about fruit and foods in general. Aeris shared her great love of human cuisine and Alex offered for her to try more the longer she stayed.

The topics drifted naturally here and there. Alex found it was marvelously easy to talk to Aeris. She was a wise and amusing woman. He thought she was both a contrast and compliment to Jen, and there was something undeniably comforting in that.

Aeris also found great joy in her master's company. He was constantly pleasant and his aura was always happy. He was almost like a child in the way his energy bounded, but the strength and presence of him was very much a man. She thought she could be happy around him when the mistress was too tired or busy to be beside her.

Eventually dinner concluded and the servants came to tidy the table. Aeris asked simple questions about the matters of cleaning, all that Alex answered swiftly.

Shortly after Alex escorted the alien to her bedroom.

Outside of the door, he bid Aeris farewell. "I've had a wonderful evening with you, Aeris, but I'm afraid I must turn in. Please, have a good night."

Aeris knew from speaking with Jen that such comments were to be returned so she bowed her head and returned the gesture. "I wish you a pleasant night as well, Master."

Alex grinned from ear to ear and happily turned toward his own room. When his back disappeared down the dark hall, Aeris retreated to her bedroom.

The room was darker than the hall had been and the blackness of it made Aeris's heart beat unpleasantly. She'd never liked the dark for how it reminded her of the encroaching storms and what it meant for her people. Without light, if it were to stay absent for too long, Aeris’s life would slowly ebb and then fade. Her antennas moved about over her eyes as she felt blindly through the darkness. Her hands reached out and gripped the curtains to her window and she parted them to let in the light from outside.

She breathed a deep and steadying sigh of relief as the moon's light washed over her. The anxiety clutching her chest fell away slowly and the light filled the dark edges of her room. 

She perched on her windowsill and admired the sight of the garden below bathed in moonlight. She was able to reflect on her wonderful day and she admitted to herself how deeply in love she had fallen with her master and mistress and their interesting and peculiar world. She looked up at the moon and the stars and knew one far beyond her sight was home. She clasped her hands together and prayed to Saelis for the fortune of her family, her village, and her new world.


	4. First Time Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeris tries to fly with her Master and Mistress for the first time.

The next day, Jennivier was wide-eyed and ready for the new day. Aeris was thrilled to be awoken by her mistress, and even more pleased to hear that Alexander and her had spoken that morning and Alexander was very enthusiastic about learning more about Saelisians. 

Breakfast came and went. The morning meal was filled with small talk about Aeris’s feelings towards the move, the mansion, her room, and her time on Gia thus far. She expressed her growing appreciation for the human race and the world they thrived in. She told Jennivier about her time with Alex in the garden and how wonderful the garden felt. They discussed the floral life on Saelis and Alex made another comment about his fear of plants large enough to devour him, and things continued on without incident. 

After breakfast, the three made their way back outside. Aeris was introduced to the vast fields around the manor and the stables off a short ways to the north. She learned about horses and the couple’s fondness for the animals. The Saelisian woman connected with one of the mares in particular and was even allowed to feed her fresh carrots and sugar cubes. Alexander and Jennivier showed Aeris how to prep and saddle a horse for riding, and then they urged her to ride Winter, the female horse she’d found favorable. Aeris did not feel comfortable with riding the animal, but she thanked her new family for the offer before saying that she would prefer to fly if it was all the same.

The rest of the morning, Alex and Jen assisted their prized horses in becoming comfortable with the sight, smells, and sounds that Aeris produced. The hum of her large wings startled them at first, but they eventually grew used to the sounds and even seemed to relax around Aeris after just a few short hours. Then, Jennivier and her husband mounted their steeds.

Aeris had never seen creatures that were so different working in such perfect synchronicity before. Jennivier’s body moved along with the horse’s with what Aeris could only fathom was a deep understanding. Alex was just the same with his mount. The beasts carried their riders over long stretches of landscape without complaint or tiring for some time. All four bodies moved towards a singular destination and their life energy harmonized as they rode. 

Aeris flew overhead, between the two fast-moving creatures as they galloped towards a river. She admired how stunning the horses and humans looked. She found herself captivated by all of Gia’s creatures, who so casually walked or ran with their feet against the ground. She thought of how connected they always were with their world, and then how strange and sad it was then that they could not feel it in the same way she could. Even if they could not sense the electrical pulses from the world around them, they still seemed to have a great connection with it all. 

When the group came to rest by the riverfront, Aeris watched her mistress and mister tie their horses to a sturdy post. The horses drank from the river and shook out their manes. Then, Alex brought out feeding bags and strapped them to the creature’s faces. The two steeds ate happily as the couple moved over to a large fallen tree’s trunk and sat down, laughing merrily and holding hands as Alex finished another one of his witty jokes he’d crafted while his wife had been away in space.

The flyer relaxed her wings and used the energy-push from her toe tips to keep herself elevated safely from the ground. She moved towards her companions and smiled brightly as she came to rest in front of them.

“The horses are magnificent,” she said. “The union you four seem to share is unheard of on Saelis.”

“There are no domesticated animals on Saelis,” Jennivier explained to her husband.

“I see,” he said. He smiled up at Aeris then and eyed her wings. “I suppose you would not have use for meat, being that you take energy from your sun. And those pretty wings seem to carry you around just fine.”

The compliment forced a small shudder to run through Aeris. She nodded. “Yes,” she said. “The females of my kind have no need for any assistance in travel, and when the males need to travel long distances, they just ask for the assistance of a female they are close with.”

“You mean you poor girls are taxed with lugging all the boys around?” Alex mockingly gasped and then laughed. “That hardly seems fair.”

“Alex,” Jen chided, but in a calm way that did not disturb the mood. 

Alex glanced at Jennivier and then pulled a handkerchief out from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his face the brisk ride had built up. Aeris could sense his concern, both of theirs, and she wanted to sooth them.

“It is not something to concern over,” she said. “My people have always been-“ She paused, suddenly realizing she wasn’t certain how to phrase what she was thinking. 

“Symbiotic,” Jen stated. Then, realizing how clinical that sounded, she rephrased. “The males and females cooperate very well, and there is no line of sexism or great embellishment put on gender roles. The females have wings and can move quickly, travel long distances, and many are strong enough to carry luggage and a grown male without too much complication. So, they do. It is a matter of convenience for everyone.”

Aeris nodded her head. She thought that what Jen had said made sense and was accurate. She trusted her enough that she didn’t need a full understanding of all the terms in order to confirm what she had stated. 

“Males on my world are shorter and smaller,” Aeris said, gesturing with her hands as she described traditional Saelisian male stature. “They have no wings, and they do not produce much furël. Not normally. Many have strong arms and feet. They can walk on the ground when necessary, though it is uncommon for my people to do so, even males. Because they cannot fly, or run as humans or horses can, they do not travel very far most of the time. Females will carry males from one place to another if they need to move more quickly or the distance is too far to travel.”

“And you don’t mind carrying them?” Alex asked. “It seems like they would be heavy.” He patted his own strong abdomen, a harmless gesture that caused Jennivier to roll her eyes and pat his hand back down. “I don’t think I’d want to carry a big guy like me around all day.”

Aeris shook her head. The flyer giggled and turned around. Her wings lifted and spread apart so that the small of her back was clearly visible. At the curve of her spine, a small black circle hovering over a triangle was tattooed into her flesh. 

Jennivier stood and moved over to Aeris. She asked permission, and then pointed at the markings. “This,” she started. “Is Aeris’s Ameil. It is a marking that the Saelisian people use to determine the strength of their females, in terms of how much they can carry and how far they can travel.”

As Jennivier’s fingers caressed the soft surface of flesh there, Aeris’s wings fluttered just slightly and her muscles clenched just enough to appear as though she were lightly flexing. Her firm buttocks lifted and the unique structure of her anatomy became a bit more apparent all over. Alex and Jen both took note of the change in silence. 

“The number of lines indicate the weight,” Jen continued. Her fingertips caressed the various separations in the pyramid. There were four lines in Aeris’s Ameil. “Each one indicates the equivalent of fifty pounds.”

“Did the High-Daa-Glade teach you that?” Aeris asked in surprise. She looked back over her shoulder towards Jennivier, admiration clear in her expression. 

Suddenly, Lady Amberose felt embarrassment tint her skin. She hadn’t meant to steal the demonstration from her dear flyer, and she realized too late that she had been very eager to show off her own understanding of Aeris’s culture. She also realized that she was touching Aeris, though not with any intention to make her out to be a specimen for dissection. It felt more like a juvenile form of admiration. She thought back to a time when she was much younger and her mother had announced to her that she had purchased a unique gift for Jennivier’s father. Jen had been so excited after learning about the gift that when it was revealed during a celebration, she told her father and all of the guests at the manor everything she had learned about the item without even thinking. She had felt a great deal of affection and interest for the item, its history, and for her parents, so the words just fell right out. That memory and its freshly paralleled relevance made Jennivier feel suddenly very childish. It was not her right to boast about the beautiful Saelisian culture or Aeris’s achievements. It was Aeris’s, and Jennivier felt very silly for not being able to control her enthusiasm. 

She pulled her hand away from Aeris’s back slowly and brushed stray hairs from her face as she reclaimed her patience and dignity. “Yes,” she confessed. “Gloriel explained the Ameil system to me the week before you and I officially met,” she told Aeris. Then, she turned partially towards Alex and explained, “Gloriel is the high-priestess of Aeris’s village. She and her mate, the High-Ruu-Glade, Nordael, are the leaders of the village.” 

Alex grinned as he witnessed Jennivier’s shame come over her lovely features. She had an adorable habit of taking other’s thunder when it came to matters she was passionate about. The entire situation was made even more precious because it was clear that Aeris didn’t mind that her explanation had been stolen one bit. In fact, the darling Saelisian girl looked as though she were more likely to swoon than complain.

The way Aeris genuinely loved Jennivier was both awe inspiring and intriguing.

Aeris took Jen’s second run of hesitation as uncertainty. She nodded and made sure to verify Jennivier’s statements. “Yes,” she said. “You are very well educated in my people, Jennivier. I’m pleased that you were able to spend time with the High-Daa. She is a magnificent and wise woman.”

There was a moment more of back and forth, subtle compliments, and shifts in the dialogue. The transfer of educational discussion regarding the Ameil mark, the responsibilities of the High-Daa and High-Ruu, and some of the information surrounding the coming of age ceremony–called the Daa Ameil Daa Saelis–became almost flawless after time. Aeris would start an explanation and Jennivier would finish it, or the flyer would add to something that Lady Amberose began. 

Alexander found their teamwork ridiculously charming.

“I would have loved to have been able to see your world for myself, Aeris,” Alex finally said. “And to meet your friends and family. I must say, I’m actually quite jealous of my wife now.” Lord Amberose laughed and gave his wife a knowing wink. “Though, I suppose that I am a very lucky man.”

“Lucky?” Aeris asked.

“Of course! After all, I may not have been able to travel the stars to see your world up close, but I have been fortunate enough to meet you, Aeris. I think that makes me very lucky.” 

Aeris wasn’t certain what to say. She merely thanked the man and turned her attention back to the previous topic. “It is a wonderful feeling to carry your loved ones,” she explained. “And, if it is not too forward of me, I would very much enjoy flying with both of you.”

Jennivier’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t even given the concept proper consideration before. Thinking about flying with Aeris–more correctly, riding on her back as she soared–was a mesmerizing concept. “Really?” Lady Amberose asked. “Is that really something that you wish to do?”

“Oh, yes!” Aeris exclaimed. Suddenly she was nearly a foot off the ground and her wings were beating powerfully behind her. The two humans giggled at the Saelisian girl’s eagerness. “I would love to carry you anywhere, Jennivier!” Aeris flew in an acrobatic little circle to show off her agility and grace. “I am faster than a horse or a car, and I am very good at keeping conversation on calm trips!”

“Oh my,” Alex chuckled. “Jen, dear, it looks as though you have dedicated yourself to this new venture. I don’t think the poor girl will last if she doesn’t get to take you flying.”

"Well, I wouldn't want to leave her in wanting." Jennivier smiled up at her fluttering companion. Inside her heart pounded with anticipation and fear. She had thought that eventually the offer might be made for flight, but Jen had thought there would be more discussion, more preparation. Her hands shook as she thought about what it might be like. "What should I do, Aeris?"

Aeris flew around her mistress in a circle, thrilled that the invitation had been accepted. "You need only relax. I can handle the labors. If you have questions do not be afraid to ask, but know that I am trained and will not hurt you."

Aeris's words made Jen wonder if the alien could sense her nervousness. Saelisians were well connected to vibes and electric impulses, so it seemed likely. She tried to sooth her own trepidation and focused instead on how informative the flight would be. "Sounds good," she said.

"Before anything else I must test your weight to make certain I can support you. Is that alright?"

"That is fine, Aeris."

Taking her at her word, Aeris dove down and pressed her chest flush to Jennivier's back. Even through the thick layers of clothing the alien could feel the human's heat radiating. It only grew when Aeris wrapped her arms around Jennivier's center for support. 

"You are free to hold my arms if you so like."

The offer was kind and tender and Jennivier took it at once. She laid her gloved hands atop Aeris's dark green arms and gave a gentle squeeze for both their reassurance. 

With Jennivier secure, Aeris began to pound her wings with enough force to carry them both. At first they did not leave the ground, the alien merely allowed herself the time to build momentum. Then they were lifting, slowly for Jen's sake.

It was the first time Aeris had tried to lift anything since arriving on Gia and as she had anticipated it was difficult. Gia gravity was very different than the gravity on Saelis and it took some getting used to. Her wings strained at even the simple weight test, but she knew she could handle the endeavor with a bit of effort. Soon they were off the ground, only an inch or two but enough for Jen's eyes to grow large and for Aeris to get a feel for what carrying Jen would be like. 

Then, as soon as they had gone up they were down again. "Very good. I can support you. Now, please get behind me and take the flight position. I know you witnessed it on Saelis, but to clarify it is hands on my torso, weight at my hips."

Jen nodded her understanding but still couldn't find words. Even the instant she'd spent aloft had left her trembling and she wondered if she could really handle this. In spite of her fear, she moved behind Aeris. She was going to ask how she should go about straddling, but Aeris tilted forward then, used the push from her toes to tilt toward the ground so Jen could more easily crawl into place. 

Jen straddled the alien's hips and hugged her at the middle in a firm embrace that to the human felt intensely intimate.

It was intimate for Aeris too, but in a different way. The flight hold was between families and close relations more often than not. It was a sign of loyalty and affection. I will protect you, it said without words.

"I do not imagine it will be an issue for you, but sometimes children on Saelis quake on first flights. It is better for me if you do not thrash in panic. I will not drop you, but too much movement throws off my balance." Aeris said this as a matter of course. She could sense how nervous Jen was, but she didn't think the composed woman would be so reckless as to flail.

Jennivier nodded her understanding and took a deep breath. She felt as though she was about to take a big leap, but all she had to do was sit and wait.

"However, if you do feel insecure please alert me so we can land."

"I will," Jen said.

Again those wings started to beat and this time Jennivier knew it was for real. They were going to leave the ground and it wasn't in the safety of a space shuttle. Her fingers clasped the green woman and she held on as tight as she felt was permissible.

Then they were going up. The ground grew further from Jen's feet and she could barely register it. It felt surreal to be lifted, to feel the powerful backwind from those great wings, to know she was being kept up by an alien that was just as interested in Jen as Jen was in her.

Jennivier came back to herself in one swift breath and she felt like she had just woken up to find herself very high off the ground. Alex was a distant figure now, waving excitedly from below. The sight jolted the woman and she gripped at Aeris with more fear and accidently shifted.

The very sudden change in weight made the easy ascension more complicated. Aeris had been enjoying the feeling of carrying someone again. They had only gone up and not yet forward, but she could already feel that rush of energy that came with being connected and in the air. Then Jen startled and Aeris felt that sinking plummet in her gut that came just before she went sideways. Her wings moved fast and hard to level her, but they swayed harshly to one side.

Jennivier let out a fearful little yelp and the sound alarmed Aeris until she realized it came only from panic. She swished them hard to the other side to balance and she felt Jen slide and the energy coming off the human was palpably fearful. 

"Do not be afraid! It will be alright." Aeris tried to reassure her newest rider, but the woman was shaken.

Jen tried to calm herself. She liked the idea of flying and being so high up was invigorating, but her endorphins were jumbled and her adrenaline was high. She tried to steady herself for Aeris's benefit.

Even with Jen's self-control the ride was still rocky at the beginning. They swayed from side to side and Aeris felt her shoulders tense and her body buckle under the pull of Gia's gravity. They both thought for a time that it would not get easier, but eventually Aeris adjusted and the improved ease of the ride soothed Jen's nerves.

Once the trembling start was passed the women were able to enjoy themselves. There was nothing like flying for Aeris and Jen's weight was perfect for her. The other woman was not too heavy, but she was not so light that she proved to be no challenge at all. Mostly it was the clothing that added the most weight, but Aeris didn't mind. She liked the very mild pressure that reminded her she was not alone. She felt closer to Jennivier this way and she could sense the human's delight as the energy bubbled between them.

"It's beautiful," Jen said when she'd found her voice again. The clouds so high above danced all around, their wispy shapes enchanting. Jen felt like she could reach out and touch them and feel their cottony texture, but she knew they were only elegant air and moisture. Still there was something purely whimsical about flying that made Jen feel remarkably young. The feeling of Aeris beneath her made her feel secure, but the long empty span of space between them and the ground made her feel alive. 

Aeris's wings shimmered in the morning's light and Jen found herself more captivated than she'd ever been before. Without having to speak a word, both women knew there was something between them now that could never be broken.

Landing left Jen almost wistful. The breeze in her hair and the rush at her back faded into memory too quickly, but all the same she was happy to feel the earth beneath her feet again. She thanked Aeris, almost breathlessly and they shared a tender gaze that was broken only when Alex happily asked how the flight had gone.

Jen could only manage a very weak, "Amazing." It didn't come close to describing how it had made her feel. Regardless it was enough for Alex who was thrilled to have his own go.

Flying with Alex was nothing like flying with Jennivier. Where there had been fear there was excitement, where there had been quiet appreciation there was cheering. Aeris adored the contrast in her new family. 

Alex invigorated her in less innocent ways however. The way he liked to fly tested Aeris's abilities and she quickly discovered she liked that.

"Can we go higher?" Had been the first request. Aeris took it simply enough and had flown higher. The mild stress it put on her wings was brisk like a test and it stirred her deep inside. Then he urged for more speed. She happily granted.

Before long she was working her wings and body to the limit to move higher and faster and his behest. The effort left her panting and her antennas twitched and her wings thrummed loudly. 

Aeris had never stayed aloft under such duress before. It was odd and new and left her shivering as she fought against the pull of Gia that longed to yank her and her rider down. 

Alex was oblivious and rode with pure passion and abandon. It was glorious how he loved to fly. Aeris found his joy contagious. She giggled even as her wings started to burn and a strange tingle welled up from the pushing tips of her toes all the way to her antennas. 

Then Alex moved unexpectedly. His hands slid up too far. It was just a slip, a mistake, but it made Aeris gasp and lose control. Somehow Alex had rocked forward and his grip had come to close too the wings. His body heat pulsed through her upper back and shot unexpected pleasure and pain into her wings. She let out a sharp cry as they fell downward.

Alex realized his mistake and pulled back. Aeris was grateful for his calm demeanor in the situation for it allowed her to clear her head of the dizziness and regain her flight. She pulsed her wings hard against the feelings surging through her, foreign and sharp, and she took control of her flight again.

The moment seemed to pass for Alex who went right back to sight seeing, but for Aeris it weighed heavy on her mind. The touch had felt so good and the ongoing burn biting through her nerves was making her ache in ways she could not fathom. It made her feel closer to Alex, but almost in a forbidden way.

Aeris knew it was time to land. 

When she first touched down she could not look Jen in the eye for she felt almost as if she'd done something wrong. The feeling faded however when the couple embraced and Alex began to speak excitedly about his flight. All seemed well after all and Aeris was able to focus on how excited the flight had made her. 

The strain both flights put on Aeris’s body was minor, but tension ached through her back and she knew her muscles would be tense tomorrow as well. After all, she hadn’t done nearly as much flying in the last several days as she was accustomed to back on Saelis. Still, the feeling of having bonded so completely with both Jennivier and Alexander held more benefit than a touch of pain could trouble. 

“Absolutely incredible,” Alex laughed. He spun around briefly like an enthusiastic child. “I can’t believe how brilliant you are, Aeris! So strong and so graceful!” He continued to compliment the alien woman as his wife giggled behind her hand. “Thank you! Thank you for sharing that experience with me.”

Aeris giggled cutely and bowed her head just slightly, a brighter blue creeping up over her cheeks, ear tips, and her other easily flushed areas of skin. “You are very welcome, Master,” she said. “I would be more than happy to carry you whenever you would like in the future. It is really no trouble at all. In fact, it would be a great pleasure.”

Jennivier gave her husband a gentle touch on the shoulder. He understood at once that the subtle caring gesture wasn’t meant to deter his happiness, merely shift it so that his external form acted a touch less extravagantly. He hadn’t realized how shifty he’d become, or how wildly he was moving his arms as he shook out of pure excitement. He stilled his motions, easing the quiver of his knees, and pulled his handkerchief from his pocket once again to dab away some of the perspiration on his brow line. 

“If it would please you, Aeris,” Jennivier said. “I would adore spending more time flying with you. I’m certain that Alexander feels the same way.” 

“Yes. Yes! Of course,” Alex added. 

“In fact, I think that a flight into town tomorrow would be quite invigorating,” Jen said. “It would be your first time exploring Riversburg, and I think flying in together would make a wonderful impression on the locals.”

Jennivier felt confident that she had made the right call in suggesting the trip. Aeris’s large black eyes seemed wider and glossier than ever before. The concept clearly enthralled the young woman. 

“I would like to, yes! Very much!” Aeris could barely contain her excitement. “To travel into town with you both is a very good idea!” Her English slipped in fluidity just slightly from all of the emotions welling up inside of her chest. Her mind spun pleasantly as her wings fluttered and her hips wriggled. 

“Well,” Jennivier started. She looked between Aeris and Alexander as she spoke. “I’m not certain if we could all go at once.” The lady Duke felt guilty for saying so, because both Alex and Aeris’s excitement seemed to dwindle just a little. “I only mean that, wouldn’t it be very difficult for you to carry both of us at the same time?”

Aeris hadn’t considered that prospect when she had agreed. Of course, spending alone time with Jennivier was a very pleasing prospect as well, but now there was a more pressing matter unnerving the Saelisian. 

Could she carry both her mistress and her master at the same time?

“I’m not sure if I could or not,” Aeris admitted. She looked between her two wingless family members and felt an old worry creep back into her mind. It was natural. It was instinct to feel such concern. On Saelis, if a flyer was left with two persons, but they could only carry one, a choice of whom to take and whom to leave behind would have to be made. That often ended in tragedy for the one left behind. It was a nightmarish reality that no Saelisian wanted to face. So, even though she knew that Gia did not flood, the fear of not being able to carry both Alex and Jen was very real and very powerful. She tried not to let it show on her face. “I should like to try though.”

Ignorant to the whirlwinds of feelings swirling around inside of Aeris, Alex playfully taunted the flyer. “Well, even if you can’t carry me, you can always just leave me here while the two of you have a girls’ day.” 

“I am strong though!” Aeris blurted out. She understood how inappropriate the outburst was at once and understood where it came from. She quieted herself and told herself internally to remain calm and to think logically. “I just mean, that I have trained very hard my entire life, and my mother is one of the best flyers in our village. I think that I could do it, if I really focus.”

Alex worried he hit a cord. It was clear to him by the slight crinkle of Jennivier’s left eyebrow that she was concerned as well, but that only meant that he needed to be more encouraging.

“Well, it is alright if you can’t, Aeris, but I would be fine with a little more time on your back just to see. That is, if Jen is okay with it.” Alexander turned to face his wife. They both knew that Aeris needed to test her limits. It was only Lady Amberose who had any understanding of how important such a thing really was to Aeris, and even she did not have a full comprehension of what Aeris was going through.

“Of course,” Jennivier said. “But I don’t want you to hurt yourself. There is never a need for that. If we are too heavy as a set, I would rather you be honest and stop than allow yourself to strain anything.” Jen made an expression oddly familiar to Aeris. 

The winged-girl thought then–for only a second–that Jennivier shared an expression with Lostriel, Aeris’s mother. The strict concern was something heartwarmingly comforting and altogether not expected. It reminded Aeris to calm herself. She had learned long ago that pushing oneself too hard for the sake of results was not always wise. In fact, it could sometimes be very dangerous.

“I’m sorry,” Aeris said softly. She bowed her head. “I will be careful, and I will not push myself too hard.” She lifted her eyes and they met with Jen’s stunning blue ones. 

“Okay then,” Jennivier said. Then, she smiled. “Now, how should be go about doing this, because I’m not sure we’ll both even fit on your back.”

“Well, usually when a female from my planet carries two people at a time, they are either both small, one is large and the other very small, or she will carry one on her back and one in her arms.”

“You lead,” Alexander said. “Just tell us what to do and we’ll do it.”

Aeris smiled warmly. Her new family was very understanding. She decided to try carrying both of them on her back first. No matter if Jen tried to hold Alex, or Alexander held Jennivier, or if they tried to sit one in front of the other, it was painfully clear that the double up method wasn’t going to work. 

Next, Aeris tried to fly with one of them on her back while she attempted to lift off holding the other one in her arms. She found it impossible to move the grounded individual more than a few inches, even when her wings beat so furiously that they whistled. 

Then Aeris attempted many different tactics for building momentum before she tried to lift the second party off the ground. She tried picking the second rider up by the arms, up under the arms, by their waist, and so on. Though, despite her best efforts, not a single pose seemed to work.

Alexander and Jennivier switched positions multiple times. They tried to shift their weight differently too, to aid in the process. 

At one point, Aeris managed to carry Jen–who was balanced on the flyers back–and Alex–who she had gripped tightly to her chest from behind–after a dramatic swoop. The momentum and force of her rush by pick up seemed to do the job. The three bodies lifted into the air several feet and hovered at that distance as they moved forward slowly. It took nearly everything Aeris’s wings had, and she used a huge amount of furël on the effort, but it worked. They were all three flying together. At least, until Aeris started to fall sideways when Alexander started to slip from her grip. 

Despite the difficulties of the adventure and the worry the failures brought with them, Aeris found that she had never enjoyed smacking her proverbial ceiling so much in all her life. No matter when Aeris huffed or grunted, couldn’t pull back, or even when she accidently dropped Alex into the river, the mood never dropped. Alexander was constantly laughing and Jennivier was endlessly supportive. All three parties giggled and enjoyed the struggles the task presented, and they even had fun trying to come up with seemingly clever ways to get over the complications of three-way flying.

In the end, Aeris had to come to terms with the fact that carrying both of the Amberose Dukes was simply too impossible a task for her at her current strength. It did sadden her to know that she could not carry Alex and Jen to safety at the same time, but Jennivier made sure to patiently remind her that there would likely never be a reason for her to have to do anything of that sort. 

“And if there were,” Alex said. “We would most certainly not hold it against you.”

Aeris’s wings ached and erotically pulsed from the hours of trial and error. She could feel every muscle along her spine pulling and tensing, and it felt wonderful. Her body tingled on the inside, the veins through which her main supply of furël traveled having started to go numb from the powerful bursts she sent forth to help propel her further with her two loved ones. The tips of her toes tingled especially, and she knew that she was properly exhausted. 

“Oh dear,” Alexander said. “Just look at the time. The groomer will be by soon. We should get those two back to the stables and head home.”

“You’re right,” Jennivier agreed. She stood and moved over to the two horses still tied and waiting patiently for their masters’ return. 

Aeris looked at the horses and considered her own exhaustion. She thought for a moment to request a ride on one of the four-toed creatures, but decided against it in the end. “Would we need to rush back?” she asked.

Jen and Alex understood at once that the Saelisian girl had been worn out by all the fun, but Jennivier understood that she likely still preferred to fly behind them. “There is no need to rush too much. A gentle trot back to the stables should be fine.”

“Oh, good.” Aeris smiled, thankful that she would be able to rely on her tender toes for support while her wings soaked in more sunlight as they ventured. 

The married couple shared a knowing smile and made a quiet agreement to travel leisurely for everyone’s sake. Sure enough, everyone made it to the stables without incident and Aeris even managed to switch from hovering to flying so that her toes could have a rest. 

Aeris bid the horses farewell and the three traveled back towards the manor. On the way home, Aeris remembered Jennivier’s words. 

“Can we really go into town tomorrow? Just the two of us?” she asked.

Jennivier smiled up at her Saelisian. “Yes, of course. If you are feeling up for it, that is.” Aeris nodded her head fiercely in response. “Very well. Then we’ll venture off tomorrow, but I think there are still many hours ahead of us today.”

“And lunch,” Alex reminded everyone. His belly let out a small rumble as they reached the main yard. “Let’s not forget about lunch.”


	5. The Art of Bathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeris learns about the human ritual of bathing and is fascinated to say the least. The couple and their new darling, Aeris, share a once in a lifetime experience that strengthens their bonds.

Aeris felt invigorated after her flight. She still felt a twinge of remorse at being unable to carry them both, but the overwhelming sensation of satisfaction was too strong to allow her to dwell for long. Further, the promise of another wonderful meal with her master and mistress was exquisite. The fruit of Gia was ripe and juicy and she could imagine how good it would feel on her dry palette after the hard flight.

She was eager to get inside and to the dining room, but the humans halted her before they got that far.

"We have to tidy up first," Jennivier said. She wiped the sweat from her brow that had collected in the hot sun. 

"You do groom, don't you?" Alexander suddenly seemed very unsure. He exchanged a glance with his wife, but it was clear that Jen had no direct answer for the matter either. They both turned their attention back on Aeris.

"Of course," Aeris said with a quirked smile. Sometimes her mister and mistress were very cute in their curiosity. "Would you care for me to preen in private, or should you like to see?"

Alexander's eyes were right back on Jennivier. He didn't want to say something unacceptable and it was ultimately Jen's choice in any case.

Jennivier mused over this for a moment. In all the time she'd been on Saelis she hadn't seen any of Aeris's people clean themselves. She was supremely interested in the prospect of learning yet another element of Saelisian life. Still, if the matter was private she didn't want to intrude. She was very careful to keep her voice even when she next spoke. "Would it be alright if we were to witness something like that? It isn't important that it be kept private?"

Jen's concern was clear to the alien and she appreciated it to her core. It made her warm to think how much Jen cared about honoring the Saelisian traditions despite the fact that Aeris belonged to her now. "It's perfectly fine. Cleaning is private, but not sacred. It would harm nothing if you were to see." She offered the couple a smile. "Though we will need to go back to the garden." She looked down at the hallway carpet on which they now stood. "I would hate to make the house messy."

Jen doubted the alien was so filthy, but she nodded anyway. "If that's what you want."

Together the three went back into the privacy of the hedged garden. The alien gestured for them to have a seat on one of the white benches that adorned the land here and there. The couple sat and watched with rapt attention, unsure what they were about to behold.

Aeris stood up straight and drew her wings upward so the full span of the delicate things could be seen. The glossy veins shimmered under the translucent flesh, but they blurred when her wings began to beat. She moved them hard and fast, allowed them to pick up speed until a soft hum filled the air. The vague colors of the wings were only enough to leave a faint smudge on the air as they moved too fast for the eye to keep track of. The glimmering forms casted dancing spots of light on the grass as the sun's rays passed through them at varying intervals.

When she felt the space between her shoulders begin to warm she knew she could begin. It made her feel oddly pleasant to have an audience. She reached her hands back and dipped her fingers in the junction of her shoulders. She slowed the pace of her wings and rubbed at the bevels of flesh at the base of her wings. Her fingers swept through the warm, sticky fluid that had started to collect there. 

She rubbed it across the flat of her fingers and palms until the substance was covering her hands in a thick layer. Delicately she drew her hands forward and slid them over her shoulders. The center of her palm worked the goo into her flesh in circular motions. The residue left a clear sheen over her skin.

Her fingers drifted down her limbs. She rubbed them in rotating patterns that reminded both onlookers of the way they lathered soap into their own skin. Except after the sticky fluid had a moment to set it began to dissolve. As it fizzled away it took with it the dirt and grime atop the green flesh that the humans had scarcely noticed. However, once the flesh was cleansed it was obviously much sleeker and smoother.

Aeris collected more fluid from the base of her wings and rubbed it into her body very slowly. A scent began to emit from the natural soap and it filled the air with a pleasant aroma. 

Jen tilted her head back to breathe deeper and tried to place the smell, it was neither fruit nor flower, yet somehow both. It relaxed her body when she inhaled it and it made her feel warm the more she breathed. "You smell spectacular," she said. It was only after the words left her lips that she thought the alien might take offense.

Rather than be offended, Aeris turned bright blue with flattery. "Thank you. The scent is my Daa Kamis, a natural pheromone sap released during the cleansing and moisturizing process. I have had it my entire life and it is unique to me. All Saelisians have a personal scent. It is considered invaluable and is often adored among families and mates. When I was very young my mother bathed me in her Daa Kamis until my wings were mature. This is typical of my people. It is an affectionate and bonding experience between mothers and offspring and later females and the males they are closest to." Aeris thought Jen would appreciate the explanation since she was often so interested in knowing details of all Saelisian matters.

The communication wasn't lost on Jennivier. "So the Daa Kamis comes from glands at the base of your wings?"

"Yes, Daa Kama, the rapid fluttering of wings, draws it to the surface." Aeris bent forward and rubbed out her long leg. The gel clung to her flesh and then fizzled away, taking the grime with it. All the while Alex listened to the women converse, but never took his eyes off the enticing sight. There was a sultriness to the motions he couldn't ignore.

"Is that why your wings haven't stopped moving?" Jen observed that Aeris's wings were still humming they were beating so fast. Although she had yet to fly and remained hovering still just above the earth, her wings were active enough to carry her to the moon. 

Aeris nodded. Her fingers slipped below her knees then back up to smooth over her thighs. Her skin grew glossier with each pass. Then she lifted herself upward with her wings so she was flying and curled up to stroke her ankles and feet.

Jen found the gesture adorable. Aeris looked wide-eyed and intent despite taking the time for explanations. The tender way she rubbed her toes and the back of her heels showed great care and attentiveness. She reminded the humans of a small insect or animal grooming itself in the way she dragged her hands up and down and rubbed at particularly stubborn places in circles and vertical gestures.

Then she lengthened out again and her wings went so fast that they practically vanished. The hum grew louder and globs of the sap flung down from her wings and coated her hips and back. It slid thickly down her curves and she let it fall where it desired and only collected enough to draw her hands up to her face. She stroked the back of her hands across the delicate lengths of her antennas and the sight caused Jen to blush and made Alexander have to bury his face in his hands to keep from inappropriately giggling at how darling it was. 

Aeris stroked her antenna over and over until they too were shiny and groomed. She lowered herself down to her standard hover and slowed her wings. They beat on for a few more seconds to dry the lingering sap, then they came to a stop and Aeris floated before her mister and mistress, shiny and fresh as they'd ever seen her. 

She gave the other two a smile and turned around and around so they could see how she glistened. The smell clinging to her skin made them both happy for it was fantastic and much stronger with the bathing ritual complete.

"Thank you for allowing us to be privy to that." Jen shifted on the bench and took a deep breath. The sight had been intriguing and adorable and had appealed to both her scientific curiosities and her feminine amusement. Aeris was charming and her aroma was enticing. Jennivier was ashamed to admit to herself how excited the little event had made her. 

"I think we should get cleaned up ourselves," Alex said. The headiness in his voice was acutely detectable to his wife. It was clear he was worked up too and with good reason, for he had yet to get very much personal time with his lover since her return. "I'd be happy to escort you to your bath, Jen."

"I think a little hygiene is overdue," Jennivier said with the slightest purr. 

The implication went right over Aeris's head and she continued to smile at the other two.

"Thank you again, Aeris. We feel very enlightened, but now Jen and I are going to take part in human bathing habits." Alex stood and offered his hand to his wife to help her from her seat. Jen took his hand and allowed herself to be led. 

"We will be in the upstairs restroom," Jen said. The statement was open. It was neither an invitation nor a request that Aeris make herself scarce. The alien assumed it was up to her to decide if she was curious about human grooming or not.

Naturally she was, for she was of all things, but there was something about the way Jen and Alex looked at each other that made her think perhaps she should give them privacy. 

Torn, she waited outside for a bit longer. She turned her attention toward the sky.

The sun was warm again today. The light rays reflected beautifully on the pond in the garden's edge and Aeris moved closer to it to absorb those beams into her flesh. She let the light kiss her freshly cleansed skin and she lifted her wings up to be warmed. The nutrients soaked into her. She could taste them at the back of her throat, feel them rushing through her and empowering her. Her antennas furled and stretched at the ends as she rejoiced in being bathed in light.

For a time she closed her eyes to shut out the world and lost herself to the bliss of feeding. She let the tingle of energy quicken her pulse and stimulate her cells. Then her mind wandered again to thoughts of Jen and human habits. She pondered what the ritual was like and wanted to know how different it truly was. She at last gave in and turned her eyes back on the house.

There was certainly no harm in asking questions if she had them.

It didn't take her long to make her way to the upstairs bath. It was just off of the Dukes' room and Aeris knew the way well enough from her travels to and from her own quarters. When she floated past the threshold to the bedroom she heard the soft sounds of the married couples' voices lofting through the open space and they drew the alien forward. 

The doors had been left open, a clear sign that Jen and Alex had no desire to close the Saelisian out. Still, Aeris was timid to approach. She pressed her lithe body to the doorframe as she looked in on the couple.

Jen sat in the white porcelain tub, her long red hair loose and tossed over the side of the tub to dangle. Bubbles covered most of Jen's exposed form but her slickened collarbone was fully visible as she arched backward against the incline of the basin. Alex sat on his knees outside the tub, shirtsleeves rolled up to expose peach arms, as he worked his fingers into Jen's shoulders.

"How does it feel?" Alex's voice was low and husky like Aeris had never heard it. He seemed almost predatory and yet the alien was certain he meant his lover no harm. 

Jen moaned softly, rolled her head on her shoulders to loosen her muscles under his touch. "Fantastic."

"I think later I might do a more pleasing job," Alex whispered.

"I have no doubt," Jen purred in returned.

Aeris felt as though she was peeping and spoke up. "I hope you do not mind company."

Alex jolted a little, but Jen merely opened her eyes and turned her attention toward the doorway. She offered her friend a smile. "We don't mind. I thought you might be curious."

"I am sorry for coming unannounced," Aeris said quickly. Though Jen was understanding, it was obvious her invasion had been unexpected, if only to the man of the house.

"It's really just fine. We merely didn't hear you come in," Alex explained. Despite his words he did wonder if he had been the only one oblivious to Aeris's arrival or if Jen was simply better at hiding her surprise.

It was a relief to both Dukes that the other was unalarmed by Aeris's presence. Though they really wanted to help her learn, it was obvious they both found her enchanting and other people in a similar circumstance might have found a reason for jealousy. Instead both lovers were on the same wavelength where the Saelisian was concerned. They even exchanged a knowing glance that Aeris could not read, but the energy between their gazes set her at ease. 

"Alex was just helping me relax. He was also helping me soap up my shoulders and back," Jen said.

"What is soap?" Aeris came into the room and hovered just a few feet from the tub to better inspect it, though she feared to move too close. She didn't want to be invasive nor risk harm to herself. 

"Soap is what humans use to clean themselves. It is a substance that rids our skin of dirt and grime. It is much like your Daa Kamis, but it must be made and bought. It is not unique to the individual, but rather is created to clean all sorts of humans," Alex said. There was a pride in his voice that came from lending helpful information. Though he'd been a great help to Aeris already he took pleasure in showing off for his wife.

Jen clarified further. "Though there are many different kinds of soap. Different brands with different aromas. Humans do not produce particularly strong pheromones, as I'm sure you've by now realized, so we must create pleasant scents and borrow them from our soaps. They do not usually dissolve, but rather bubble up." Jen lifted some of the foam from her tub and blew the bubbles into the air. It flew out in little puffs and Aeris's wings flittered in great amusement. "To be rid of it we must use water to rinse it away."

The alien found this very fascinating and observed closely as Alex spread some of the bubble over Jen's shoulders and then washed them away by dipping his hands beneath the bubbles and retrieving some water to spread over Jen's skin. Aeris liked the way the suds fizzled and popped and rolled down Jennivier's smooth flesh. It left the skin looking shiny, so reminiscent of her own preening, yet so entirely different. 

With Aeris's eyes trained so intently, Alex couldn't help but want to put on a bit of a show. He slicked up his hands with soap and dragged them down Jen's shoulders. He plucked one of her arms from the bath water and lathered it up slowly. He paid special attention to the incline of her elbow and then to her hand. He laced their fingers and massaged the soap between Jen's delicate digits. All the while, he showed off his wife's long limbs and took note of how Aeris became enchanted.

Boldly after a time, Alex decided to tease them both. He slipped his big hands down Jen's chest and rubbed the soap into her breasts. He expected to be chided, but Jen allowed it, confirming his suspicions about her interests extending beyond professional means. He said nothing on the matter and decided to enjoy his treat. He pulled Jen's big breasts above water and worked over the skin, teased the nipples between his thumbs and forefingers until Jen drew in a soft gasp. 

The sound made Aeris's heart race. She was deeply intrigued. Those large breasts had been a matter of interest before. She found them mesmerizing for their sheer girth and thought they would be invaluable on her planet. Though Aeris had never heard of human women sharing life energy through their breasts at all and suddenly wondered if they could. She made a mental note to ask, but something about the situation seemed thick and heavy, like she should not speak, lest she disrupt it.

Eventually Jen's eyelids fluttered and her gaze fell somewhere between aroused and warning and Alex let go and moved on to other places.

Aeris watched Alex groom Jen for a while, and then Jen lifted up a translucent bottle full of creamy fluid. "This is shampoo," she said. "It is soap for human hair. It is made specifically to keep my hair soft and shiny. This sort also smells like mint." She handed the bottle back to Alex who set it down in favor of gathering up Jen's long locks and dipping them into the water. Jen leaned back and dunked her head below the surface, a sight that made Aeris lift higher into the air to better keep track of her mistress. It was very unusual for the Saelisian to see any creatures willingly submerge themselves under water. She felt her anxiety rise for just a moment, but refrained from lunging forward. It was clear by the situation that she should have nothing to fear. Still, she stayed alert. 

The bubbles and water sloshed and when Jen sat up her hair was soaked and clung to her head in a most appealing way. 

Alex lifted up the shampoo bottle then, but Aeris's voice made him pause. "May I?"

The humans looked at her curiously and Aeris found herself surprised by her own desires and request. Yet, she deeply wanted to help groom her mistress as Alex did and so she decided to clarify. "Would it be alright if I were to wash Mistress's hair? I have none of my own and I think it would be very enlightening."

Alex smiled happily. "Of course you may." He scooted aside to make room beside the tub for Aeris.

Aeris drew closer and knelt down. She allowed her knees to touch the smooth tile of the bathroom floor. It was cold to the touch, but she didn't mind it.

"Ah, before you do anything we should test the soap to make sure you do not have a poor reaction," Jen said quickly. She looked back at her husband and the man nodded his understanding. 

He picked up the shampoo bottle and squeezed the tiniest amount onto his fingertip. The little creamy bead pooled atop his index finger and he took Aeris's wrist in his other hand. "If it burns or aches or anything at all, please alert us."

Aeris nodded and nervously watched with her dark, round eyes as Alex pressed the digit to her palm. The shampoo smeared over her skin, sticky and wet and foreign, but it did not react to her skin at all. 

With it so close she could smell the powerful fragrance of mint Jen had promised. It was pleasant and relaxing. After a moment they were sure she wasn't allergic and she was permitted a small amount to use on Jen's wet hair.

Alex talked her through the process but it didn't take long for both women to get lost in the connection. Aeris loved the way the soap lathered up between her fingers and slipped over Jen's hair. The hairs themselves were silky and smooth and tickled Aeris's skin. Her long limbs worked against Jen's scalp and the human woman melted into the touch.

Eventually Alex went quiet too and simply indulged in the sight of the ladies overcome by bliss. Jen was deeply connected to Aeris already and the unusual sensation of the alien's fingers did nothing to ebb her arousal. Aeris in turn loved everything about Jen, her world, and her ways. Her skin was remarkable and felt different wet than Aeris's did. The Silesian couldn't quite place all the subtle ways that they differed, but she could feel it throughout her body. 

They didn't realize it but they began to make soft humming sounds in unison and Alex wondered if perhaps they had bonded more than he knew. In any instance, he didn't mind.

The time drifted away until Aeris's arms began to vanish beneath the foam she had worked up. The women realized it was time to rinse and Jen allowed the alien to help her run the clean water through the red locks. When Jen was clean she rose up from her draining bath and Aeris admired the way the lingering suds and water rolled down her glistening body. It made that strange sensation in the alien stir again, but she swallowed it down as she had before.

Alex offered his lover a towel and Jen wrapped it around her body, removing her delicates from sight. "Alex, dear, I think you should let Aeris bathe you next. It is a good way for you to bond and I'm sure she is curious."

"Yes, Master, allow me to bathe you?" Aeris was quick to agree, so quick it surprised Jen, but the human understood that Aeris likely wanted another way in which she could be close to her host family.

Alex looked between the women with amusement and shrugged his shoulders. "Very well." He stood from where he had perched and began to unbutton his shirt. He pulled it away and Aeris watched as she had the first time Jen had stripped for her. Again it seemed as though humans blossomed from their confines. The shells fell away and soft, pale flesh was left behind. Alex was still broad beneath his guise, thicker than any male on Saelis, but his form was distinctly male enough to be recognizable.

At least until his pants fell away and Aeris let out a startled sound. She flew up from the ground in a tizzy and moved behind Jen before concealing her eyes. "Deepest apologies! I did not realize it was time for you to mate."

Jen and Alex shared an alarmed expression until the words seemed to process. Jen turned toward Aeris who stood hunched with her long fingers shielding her eyes like a child about to play hide and seek. It was adorable, but far too unusual to be settling.

"What are you talking about, Aeris? We're not mating, we're bathing," Jen said softly. "Did we do something? Is it Alex?"

Aeris nodded softly. "His Ruu is showing."

Alexander began to laugh until Jen shot him a glare and he was forced to stifle his amusement in his palm. 

"Are you talking about the way he is exposed?" Jen tried carefully.

"He protrudes."

Alexander's mirth was not amusing to Jen at that moment but she managed to keep her attention on Aeris. At last she had realized the problem. Saelisian males were smooth. "His endowment? Darling, no. He isn't mating, human males simply dangle that way."

Aeris dared to peek between her fingers. "It is always that way?"

"Sometimes it gets bigger," Jen said softly before clearing her throat. "But yes, typically it hangs in the open. Human males have no means of concealing such things. That is partially why clothing is so important to our race."

"It is acceptable for me to look upon it then?" Aeris let her hands fall down, though she kept her eyes on Jen.

Jennivier grinned playfully. "I don't recommend you stare unless you want to inflate his ego, but yes, it's okay to look."

Aeris allowed her eyes to flitter over Alex's naked body, though the blue flush in her cheeks was evident. "Apologies. My males do not protrude unless they are about to mate. I misunderstood."

"It's perfectly fine. I didn't mean to upset you," Alex said sincerely.

With the matter of the way Alex was able to draw himself a fresh bath and climb inside. All the while Aeris subtly admired the way his muscles shifted under his skin. He was far more powerful a sight than her native males and he too stirred that strange sensation inside of her that Jen so often summoned.

Aeris knelt back down and at Jen's instruction began to sooth the soap and water over Alex's skin. He was more firm and thick than Jen and Aeris took special fascination in rubbing the shell of his collarbone and the bulk of his chest. His hair too was soft, but more like a small animal and less like the petals of a flower. Aeris prescribed these differences as a variance in the male to female species, but did wonder if it varied more among other tribes of humans.

The touch of the alien's glossy skin made Alex shudder. Jen's fingers guiding and occasionally brushing here and there aided nothing. He'd been deprived a long time now and the feeling of two women caressing him brought him to tremble beneath the water. Jen smirked at him knowingly while the matter went unnoticed completely by Aeris. Yet he was bringing her pleasure in other ways and for that Jen would surely reward him.

When the last of the suds were rinsed beneath the fresh flow from the faucet the three were left feeling both soothed and on edge. Jen noted the very faint glaze of liquid between Aeris's thighs when she shifted to stand and hover, but she didn't pry for now. She knew someday soon she'd have a more private conversation with Aeris about Saelisian reproduction habits and didn't want to overwhelm the alien about the matter just then. Instead she decided to fill the heavy silence. "Aeris, would you like to try a human bath sometime? Now that you understand how it works."

Aeris seemed distant and thoughtful, but she nodded in her usual way. "Yes, sometime. Though I must admit to be tired now. I would like to sunbathe for a while in my room if that is acceptable?" 

Jen remembered how much effort Aeris had exerted earlier in the day and felt bad for keeping her so long. "Of course, dear. Rest up as much as you'd like."

Aeris thanked the couple and took her leave.

"That was surprisingly exhilarating," Alex laughed.

"For me as well." Jen gave her husband a kiss. "Perhaps we can ease some of my tension after lunch, eh, Master Duke?" Clean and invigorated, Jen strolled out to her bedroom to dress.

Alex laughed again, more heartily. "Yes I should think so."

Unaware of their playful banter, Aeris made her way to her bedroom window with thoughts of her mister and mistress consuming her mind. She opened the curtains and curled up atop the ledge. She ran her fingers thoughtfully over her fern. Humans were very strange indeed and she looked forward to learning more, though part of her wondered what that bubbling in her stomach could mean. 

She chose not to dwell and instead basked in the sun to regain her energy. Soon she would have fruit and merriment, but for now she would simply preen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm afraid this is all there is to this story right now due to the client no longer pushing to continue the project. I've had so much fun working on this one and I hope to get through more of the story in the future, but that will only occur if the client returns with the intent to support the project again. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you have all enjoyed reading this original work of fiction. Thank you for reading my work.   
> Please, don't forget to give kudos if you liked it. Comments are also always very welcomed.


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